Visva Bharati registrar resigns as students’ protests continue: Report

NEW DELHI: Visva Bharati registrar Asish Agarwal resigned on Tuesday amidst students’ protests. The registrar on March 3 left his office in the university campus at Santiniketan after 84 hours in the presence of policemen even as a section of students continued their sit-in at the campus for over 96 hours demanding the reopening of hostels which are closed since the lockdown.

“Ashish Agarwal has requested me to inform the media that he is no longer the registrar of Visva Bharati. He has stepped down and hence he will not face the media,” Atig Ghosh, the university spokesperson said, as per the Hindustan Times report.

Students held demonstrations and formed human chains before different 'bhavanas' (departments) of Visva-Bharati University to press for their demand. The protests began in the only central university in West Bengal on February 28.

The students have also demanded that the coming semester exams be conducted on the online mode in undergraduate and postgraduate levels since the classes were held online for the past two years. The university official earlier said the executive council will deliberate on the issues on an urgent basis and take appropriate decision.

High drama was also witnessed on March 2 after the agitation by more than 200 students crossed 48 hours, with Registrar Ashis Agarwal inside his office even as students claimed they haven't gheraoed him.