Siliguri, 18th August: Students staged a protest outside the Registrar’s office at North Bengal University (NBU) on Tuesday after the university issued a directive stating that students who have not passed all subjects up to the sixth semester will not be allowed to enrol in the seventh semester.
The protesting students alleged that undergraduate students have been facing difficulties due to the implementation of the National Education Policy. They claimed that when the new system was introduced, students faced a lack of proper curriculum and adequate teachers, affecting their studies.
According to the students, many have consequently failed in one or two subjects despite being otherwise eligible to continue their studies. They are now demanding that students be allowed to enrol in the seventh semester despite having backlogs.
The students staged a demonstration outside the Registrar’s office demanding an immediate resolution. They warned that the university would be shut down if the issue was not resolved within 48 hours.
The protesting students claimed that around 60% of students under North Bengal University have been unable to enrol in the seventh semester due to the directive. They further alleged that similar issues have been resolved at other universities in the state, but no solution has been provided at NBU.
NBU Registrar Dr Swapan Rakshit said the university had heard the students’ concerns and that the matter had been communicated to the concerned authorities, including the Higher Education Department, for further consideration.