Protest by TDC Students in Assam University Demanding Online Mode of Examination; Authority Asks for Time until March 3

The students of degree colleges of Barak Valley staged a mass demonstration yesterday in front of Assam University, Silchar campus located at Dorgakona to protest against the University’s decision to conduct semester examinations exclusively in offline mode. The agitation that took place in front of the University main gate was joined by students of almost all the degree colleges of Barak Valley who demanded that blended mode of both offline and online should be used to conduct semester examinations of the three-year degree (TDC) courses across all the affiliated colleges of Assam University, Silchar as well as the A. K. Chanda Law college. Their concern is that keeping in mind the ongoing pandemic and the recent spike in Covid-19 cases across the nation, it is in the best interest of all parties that the examination be held in a blended mode of online and offline examination to minimise the risk of Covid infection and transmission. The protest also ended up in a minor scuffle with a few security personnel of the University.

On February 24, the Assam University administration published the schedule of the TDC examinations for all the degree colleges affiliated with it. The official notice decreed that the TDC examination of all degree colleges and A. K. Chanda Law college would commence from March 9 exclusively in offline mode which didn’t go well with the degree students across the entire Barak Valley. On February 25, the students from several degree colleges of Silchar protested and showed a demonstration in front of DC office Silchar demanding that the Assam University authority reconsider their decision of conducting offline mode of examination and rather opt for a blended mode of both online and offline examination for degree colleges and law college as well. Even though the Assistant Deputy Commissioner came and addressed their issues assuring that they’ll look into the matter, no response was received from the University’s end.

Seeing no response from the authority’s end, the under-graduate students yesterday went to the University campus and staged a dharna at the gate as they were not allowed to enter the campus by the security guards. Amidst shouting slogans of ‘Assam University haay haay’, a few representatives of the university authority came infront of the gate where the demonstration was going on and tried to listen to their issues and concerns. As per University officials, a few rogue people suddenly appeared in the scene from behind, addressing themselves as the ‘mouthpiece of students’ and started misbehaving with the authority as the discussion was going on. This heated argument resulted in a scuffle with a few security personnel of the University.

However, a student of Women’s College alleged that a security guard of Assam University riding a “black pulsar bike” had used abusive nasty words against her as the demonstration was going on. The matter was sorted when the authority found the guard and he apologised to the girl for his misconduct.

The scuffle that created controversy at the site of protest was met with heavy criticism all around. Former President of the Assam University Students’ Union (AUSU), Biswarup Bhattacharjee, said “The students of the affiliated colleges should understand that we too are fighting for their cause, as we are also students. They are as much part of this University as we are. Even though my term as the AUSU President ended last November (2019-2020), I’ll keep working for the betterment of the Assam University students in whatever capacity I can.”

After the demonstration, the university authority gave the assurance that within March 3 they’ll come up with a solution after discussing the issues with the respective college principals. The memorandum submitted by the students of the affiliated colleges also questioned how does the University authority expect the students who live in remote places to leave their hometown for offline examination during the time of assembly elections, thereby sacrificing the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right of casting votes.