SU students thumb down VC’s response to charter of demands, block highway in protest

SU EVENTUALLY INKS AGREEMENT TO BEGIN P.G. COURSES BEING DEMANDED BY STUDENTS

BLOCKADE LIFTED AFTER WRITTEN UNDERTAKING TO ADDRESS DEMANDS AND ASSURANCE NOT TO VICTIMISE PROTESTING STUDENTS

GANGTOK, 18 May: Dissatisfied with the response of the Sikkim University Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mahendra P Lama, to their demands, students from all the three government degree colleges of Tadong, Namchi and Rhenock and Sikkim Law College led by Students’ Union of Sikkim [SUS] blocked the highway near 6th Mile, Tadong for around 8 hours today. There was much sloganeering, but no untoward incident transpired even though the situation did get heated and tense a couple of times down at 6th Mile today. There was also a strong police bandobast at the spot with the SP and DC keeping a close vigil themselves.
Students, who started to gather in front of the SU Administrative Block at 6th Mile here from around 10 AM with banners and placards announcing their demands, blocked the National Highway infront of the Administrative Block at around noon and continued till 8 PM. They poured out into the highway and stalled traffic when the VC remained unavailable for a meeting with them. Despite consistent demands of the students to meet the VC, Prof Lama remained absent from the scene throughout the day.
It was only after receiving a written assurance [see accompanying box] from the SU Registrar and HRDD Secretary on fulfillment of some of their demands that the blockade was eventually lifted. The HRDD has assured to take up the student demands with the Union HRD Ministry and SU.
In a major concession won by the agitating students, they will be receiving [starting this academic session itself] Post Graduate courses in regular subjects like Mathematics, English, Political Science, Education and Commerce which have been kept out of the 25 PG courses started by SU thus far.
Earlier, upon their arrival at the SU office, an SUS delegation including students from all three colleges, sat in a short meeting with the SU Registrar, Dr JP Tamang. The meeting, however, was not successful as the student’s representatives emerged from it claiming that neither the Registrar, nor any other SU official, was interested in addressing their demands and were “totally neglecting these demands”.
Except ambulances and vehicles with patients, all other vehicles were stranded for hours on either side of the highway. While some opted to take a long detour through Ranka, others resorted to transshipment, walking across the student picket to vehicles on the other side.
An eight-point demand charter had been earlier submitted to the Sikkim University Vice-Chancellor on 07 May along with a seven-day ultimatum for a positive response. The SUS president, Jiwan Subba, today informed that they received a letter from the Sikkim University only on 15 May which did not address any of the demands or issues raised by the students.
He alleged that the university is only stalling the issue by offering hollow consolations and not taking any concrete action. He further pointed out that the letter [issued by the Registrar] was back-dated for 12 May, inferring that this “only goes to show their ‘negligence and ignorance’ towards the student community”.
“Enough initiatives have been taken by the students, now we will not go to the VC again but will approach higher authorities in this matter,” he announced today.
He mentioned that among their eight demands, their main focus is on the demand for post graduation courses in History, Commerce, Education, English, Political Science, Tourism, Botany, Zoology, Regional language and in other regular courses running in SU affiliated colleges from the coming session and on the demand of 50% reservation for local students in post graduation and higher level studies.
Mr. Subba stressed that these two subjects are directly related with the students and their future as every student would not be able to go outside the state to pursue higher studies.
In the letter responding to the demand for regular post graduate courses, the University explains that the courses that it offers at present were “thoroughly discussed in the Academic and the Executive Council of Sikkim University and duly approved by the University Grants Commission”. It goes on to state that some of the remaining core courses that are taught in the colleges will be introduced in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017) along with other courses with the permission of the Academic Council, Executive Council and the University Grants Commission.
On the demand for reservation of seats for students of Sikkim the letter states that the statute of Sikkim University “does not have any such provision”, for which it suggests that “the Sikkim University Act needs to be amended, possibility of which could be perhaps explored with the help of the Hon'ble Members of Parliament from Sikkim”.

AGREEMENT DOCUMENTS

The HRDD Department will conduct PG Courses in MSC Mathematics, MA in English, MA in Political Science, MA Education and Master in Commerce in the current Academic Session in the Government Degree College, Gangtok and the same courses will be conducted at the Sikkim University for the Second Year. The remaining courses shall be started in the next Academic Session- 2013-14 by the Sikkim University and HRDD Department.

The HRD Department will recommend and process for approval of MHRD, Government of India for 50% reservation of seats in PG, MPhil and PHD Courses for the local Students. The action taken by the HRD Department in this regard would be conveyed to the Sikkim University and Students Union of Sikkim periodically.

The minimum qualification for the admission to the PG Courses in the Government Degree College will be 45%. The intake seats will be decided by the Government of Sikkim and would be based on Merit list prepared as per the marks obtained in the Graduate Courses.

The students who were part of today’s agitation would not be victimised by the Sikkim University in any manner.

With regard to other demands placed by the students the same would be referred to Sikkim University immediately for necessary action in consultation with the Students Union of Sikkim.

The agreement has reference to the application dated 7^th May 2012 by the President Students Union of Sikkim.

Jointly signed by

Director (Higher Education), HRDD; and Registrar, Sikkim University

Counter Signed by: Secretary, Human Resource Development Department