Presidency University VC gherao ends

Presidency Students’ Council leaders say their protest will continue till the VC agrees to hold an open forum discussion on the issue of admission tests with students.

After around 24 hours, the gherao at the office of Presidency University Vice-chancellor Anuradha Lohia ended on Friday after she agreed to an open discussion with the students.

Students were protesting since last evening against the autonomy given to departments on holding admission tests.

Ms. Lohia said when she tried to leave her office, the agitating students lay down on the ground to obstruct her way.

“They said to go out you have to walk over our bodies. I couldn’t do that as they are my students and so I agreed to have a discussion,” she told PTI as she left after spending the whole night in her office room.

She said she had agreed to have an open forum meeting on April 29 with the students where faculty members would also be present.

Describing the agitating students as “A bunch of 20 hooligans who are bringing disrepute to the varsity,” she said.

“Just because they can shout and can create a scene they have hijacked the entire image of the university and the state. It is not that there a hundred or thousand students who are creating problem.”

Presidency Students’ Council vice-president Amardeep Singh said so far admissions in each departments was held on the basis of admission tests.

“But now they are giving autonomy to every department to decide whether they want admission tests or not. We are opposed to this. We want admission tests to remain like earlier,” he said.

Ms. Lohia said these are administrative issues and decided by the authorities and not the students.

“Tomorrow will they say when should the VC stand and when should she sit down? They can’t dictate,” she said.