Presidency University students protest, demand reopening of campus

The campus has been closed since the lockdown was announced in March last year. Students’ Council leader Debnil Paul said on Thursday that libraries, laboratories and the office would have to be opened soon, and classroom-based teaching resumed in a phased manner for the benefit of students, researchers and teachers.

“If everything else, from film festivals to fairs and offices can start, if buses and trains can ply, what is wrong with the resumption of campus activities as students have been the hardest hit in the past 10 months? This is affecting our career. Not everyone has the wherewithal to avail online classes.

“If our token sit-in for a day fails to yield the result, we will resort to a fierce form of protest in near future,” Paul said.

Around 30 students participated in the sit-in outside the main gate of Presidency University on the footpath adjacent to College Street for about 22 hours from 4 pm on Wednesday.

Other demands being raised by the students include continuing with the admission process till the seats are filled, Paul said.

The Left students’ body further demanded publication of the entire academic calendar of the semester and the exam schedule.

Meanwhile, the University officials refrained from commenting on the agitation by students.”We have started online mode of academic activities for the past several months. Due to the Covid situation and the advisory from the higher education department, campus activities could not start till date. We will take appropriate steps depending on the situation and the directives of the government in future,” a university spokesperson said.