Presidency University students withdraw sit-in after officials agree to free vaccination

KOLKATA: The Presidency University Students Council (PUSC) withdrew its 96-hour sit-in after the varsity authorities agreed to free vaccination of all students. PUSC office-bearer Adrija Adak told PTI Saturday, the authorities issued a notice promising to start free vaccination at the earliest at the campus in collaboration with the state government.

Since free vaccination of every student was the prerequisite to begin any on-campus academic activity, this was the main demand of the agitating students which has been accepted by the administration of the state university and hence the sit-in at the portico was withdrawn after 96 hours on Friday evening, Adak said.

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The Dean of Students in the notice attached a table which will have the list of first and second dose recipient of vaccines and said "the university will submit the details to higher education department within the due date." The university called upon the students union to help the authority in collating information, i.e. rigorous data collection, in this regard and "we will co-operate and help the authority in every step of this process," Adak said.

The union has also been successful in getting its other demands met, like the opening of libraries and the authority has issued a notice mentioning the process through which the students can come to the university and issue the required books on particular days of the week. The union, however, asserted it will continue its larger movement of re-opening of the campus, which will be done after its preparatory phases like vaccination are completed.

"The union will be active in getting updates from the authority and will keep coming to the campus to ensure that the authority is continuing all the promised activities required to meet our demands," Adak said.

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While Vice-Chancellor Anuradha Lohia did not take calls, another official of the Presidency University said "we are happy that students have withdrawn their sit-in which could have caused health risk in the pandemic situation." He said the university will bear the responsibility of giving free jab to each student and will decide on the modalities very soon.

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