Pvt college students in quandary

Chandigarh, December 3, 2001.
Uncertainty over the schedule of the half-yearly December examinations in aided and unaided private colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh, scheduled to begin tomorrow, is weighing heavy on the minds of the students with the teachers going on strike by courting arrest in Chandigarh today.

Most private colleges of the city have not put up notices declaring the postponement of the examination, though principals confirmed that holding examinations in the prevailing circumstances was impossible.

While the students debate on whether or not to begin preparation for the examination, the principals and managements of aided and unaided private colleges which account for almost 80 per cent of the education in the state are hoping the government will bail them out by accepting their demands.

Though nothing much is happening in the colleges with the ad-hoc teaching staff as well as the non-teaching staff supporting the teachers in their “fight for justice”, hostellers are unable to leave for home since the announcement for examinations could come any day.

The Principal of MCM DAV College, Ms Usha Gupta, said that the examinations would be “postponed” in all probability. “The teachers have forwarded the call for ‘ceasework’ given by the PCCTU. We cannot make any other arrangements. The exams will probably take place in January,” she added.

Extending full support and cooperation to the teachers protesting for the implementation of the pension-cum-gratuity scheme through government treasury, Principal of SGGS College, Sector 26, Mr P.S. Sangha, says, “We have postponed the examinations till December 7 for the time being. The date will be extended if the government does not give in to their demands.”

The Principal of DAV College, Sector 10, Dr K.K. Sawal, said, “We cannot put up a formal declaration of postponement of the examination since the government could agree to the demands of the teachers. The students will just have to wait and watch.”