TIRUNELVELI
Condemning the Union Government’s decision to replace the University Grants Commission with Higher Education Commission of India and the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University’s direction to the English medium students to write their examinations only in English, the Students’ Federation of India cadre staged a demonstration in front of MSU’s campus at Abhishekapatti on the city outskirts on Wednesday.
The MSU, as part of its move to provide employable skills to its students, asked them to write their examinations only in as their medium of instruction is the foreign language. While students of most of the colleges affiliated to MSU agreed to it, a section of the students, with the backing of SFI, protested against it, saying that it would result in a large number of failures and consequently lead to dropouts.
Moreover, the SFI also announced that its cadre would lay siege to the MSU to highlight their demand. As around 100 cadre of the SFI, who had gathered in front of the MSU on Wednesday, tried to enter the university premises, the police stopped them and allowed only their representatives to meet the university authorities.
Addressing the protestors after holding talks with S. Santhosh Baboo, Registrar, MSU, State secretary of SFI Mariappan claimed that the SFI had given 15 days to decide on allowing the English medium students to write their examinations in Tamil also.
“If not our agitation will intensify by mobilising the students from various parts of Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Vice-Chancellor, MSU, K. Baskar, made it clear that the students who were doing their graduation or postgraduation in MSU through English medium should write their examinations only in English.
“Most of the students, having realised the benefits of writing the exam in English, have agreed to it. If they are still keen on writing the examinations in Tamil, the MSU will mention in their certificate that their medium of instruction as ‘Tamil’,” he said.
The protesting students also said their scholarships should be increased and the Centre should give up its decision to replace the UGC with Higher Education Commission of India.
