St Agnes College students boycott semester exams over Dasara holiday clash

Scores of undergraduate students at St Agnes College here staged a protest outside the campus gates on Monday, boycotting their semester exams in opposition to the administration scheduling tests during the Dasara festival holidays. The examinations, scheduled from October 12 to 28, have drawn severe flak from students who argue that the timing directly clashes with traditional regional celebrations, depriving them of the opportunity to participate.

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Backed by the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the agitating students have formally approached the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner to seek immediate intervention. Despite attempts by the police to pacify the crowd and disperse the demonstrators, the standoff persisted outside the gates while examinations continued simultaneously for students who chose to enter, heightening concerns among boycotting peers over the potential academic penalties.