Presidency University students organise sit-in demanding resumption of academic activities

KOLKATA: Members of the Presidency University Students' Council have launched a day-long sit-in in front of the varsity's main campus gate in College Street area here, demanding resumption of academic activities, and allowing students, researchers and teachers inside the campus.

The campus has been closed since the lockdown in March last year. Students' Council leader Debnil Paul said on Thursday that libraries, laboratories and the office would have to be opened soon, and classroom-based teaching resumed in a phased manner for the benefit of students, researchers and teachers.

"If everything else, from film festivals to fairs and offices can start, if buses and trains can ply, what is wrong with the resumption of campus activities as students have been the hardest hit in the past 10 months? This is affecting our career. Not everyone has the wherewithal to avail online classes. If our token sit-in for a day fails to yield the result, we will resort to a fierce form of protest in near future," Paul said.

University reopening

Around 30 students participated in the sit-in outside the main gate on the footpath adjacent to College Street for about 22 hours from 4 pm on Wednesday.

Other demands being raised by the students include continuing with the admission process till the seats are filled, Paul said. The Left students' body further demanded publication of the entire academic calendar of the semester and the exam schedule.

Meanwhile, Presidency University officials did not want to comment on the agitation by students. "We have started online mode of academic activities for the past several months.

Due to the Covid situation and the advisory from the higher education department, campus activities could not start till date. We will take appropriate steps depending on the situation and the directives of the government in future," a university official said.

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