Students’ unrest rocks Berhampur varsity

| | BRAHMAPUR | in Bhubaneswar

Students belonging to five affiliated colleges of the Berhampur University have been sitting on a dharna for over a week in protest against alleged irregularities and errors in publication of Plus Three second semester examination results by the university.

Soon after the results were published on Saturday, students of five affiliated colleges, Berhampur City College, Mahamayee Women’s College, Aryan Gurukul of Brahmapur, Ramanarayan Science College (Dura) and Khemundi College (Digapahandi), resorted to agitation in their respective college campuses demanding republication of results and stringent action against the erring officials.

It was alleged that nearly 50 per cent of the examinees failed in the Plus Three second semester examinations. Most significantly, 80 per cent of the unsuccessful examinees have reportedly scored between 0 and 10 marks. Students alleged that there is a complete mismatch in the marks awarded to them by the university and their respective colleges.

Students had met the CoE on Monday and submitted a memorandum seeking rectification at the earliest, but in vain. They didn’t accept the proposal of extending the examination date for 15 days made to them by VC-in-charge and PGC Chairman Prof Debiprasanna Pattnaik.

The students got more irked on Wednesday as the university authorities issued a notification inviting unsuccessful candidates to fill up forms for back-papers and sit for examinations on August 3.

The students came from their respective colleges and gheraoed the university authorities and the administrative block for five hours from 12 noon to 5 pm in support of their demand.

They withdrew the dhrana only after PG Council Chairman Prof Debi Prasanna Pattnaik, university Registrar Ranjan Biswal, Controller of Examinations Saroj Kumar Mahapatra and Gopalpur PS IIC Sushant Sahu came to them and assured to extend examination date to August 14 and republish results within next seven days.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Biju Chatra Janata Dal led by president Prasant Kumar Panda met the Vice-Chancellor on Wednesday demanding an early review and scrutiny of all the answer scripts and republication of results. Among others, All India DSO State vice-president Somanath Behera, district president Sibani Shankar Mishra, Secretary Nimai Charan Sahu and ABVP landed their support to agitating students.