VC runs office under mango tree, sits on dharna as students lock University gate in Odisha

BARIPADA:  Vice Chancellor of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanjadeo (MSCB) University, Baripada sat on a counter-strike in front of the institution’s administrative building after students demanding two separate pass certificates for BEd and MEd courses, locked the university gate here on Tuesday. 

Peeved over the disturbance, VC Santosh Kumar Tripathy carried out all administrative work for the day under the shade of a mango tree on the campus even as the sweltering heat on the day was unbearable. The other staff members too stood there for over two hours. 

Tripathy said the university generally gave away single pass certificate for both BEd and MEd courses. However, students demanded that they be given separate pass certificates for the two courses instead of one and met the concerned department officials on April 6 apprising them of their concern. 

“As per the students’ demands, the matter was taken up with the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) without further ado. However, instead of meeting other officials or me regarding their demands, or finding the development in the matter, the students sat on dharna and locked the entrance of the administrative building restricting our entry. Our staff were made to stand under the sun for several hours.

This is unfair and so I too, sat on a counter-strike and declared that the official work for the day would be conducted under the mango tree,” said Tripathy. The students however called off their strike and apologised when the vice-chancellor sat on a counter-strike in front of the administrative building. Sources said official works were disrupted for hours due to the dharna.