Students of Central University of Orissa boycott classes

Students of the Central University of Orissa (CUO) here boycotted classes on Tuesday and began an indefinite strike demanding quality education.

The agitating students alleged that the academic activities have taken a beating at the varsity due to lack of regular qualified faculties and academic facilities.

“All the five departments are running with inadequate regular qualified staff. Local staff has been engaged to take classes. Academic activities are affected in the absence of proper facilities,” alleged Biswa Bhusan Mohapatra, a protesting student.

“We have placed our demands before the concerned authorities many times but to no avail. This time we won’t call off our stir till our demands are fulfilled,” he added.

University officials said the demands of the students were being looked into.

The students have also expressed their displeasure over publication of their first semesters result in a private website and not in the official website of the University.

The CUO, which was inaugurated by Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal on August 29, presently holds classes in English, Oriya, Sociology, Anthropology and Journalism and Mass Communication on a temporary basis from a building in the premises of the Council of Analytical Tribal Studies (COATS) in Koraput.