Nishikant Khajuria/ Adil Lateef
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Apr 11: Even as scheduled examinations at NIT Srinagar began today amidst unprecedented security arrangements and strict enforcement of Section 144 of CrPC on the campus, all the outstation students boycotted this Continuous Assessment Test and left for their respective homes while Police detained three activists of Bhagat Singh Kranti Dal when they tried to enter the college for hoisting national flag.
“Around 25 percent of total students, almost locals from Kashmir valley and a few from Ladakh, appeared in today’s exams while non-locals did not turn up,” NIT Registrar, Fayaz Mir told the Excelsior.
He also informed that maximum of the outstation students, more than 1000 in number including girls, have so far left the campus for their respective homes after completion of required formalities. “Though a few of the Final Year non-local students are still staying here and have not applied to go home, they also did not appear in the exam,” he added.
Around 60 non-local students had proceeded for their homes yesterday while all others left the campus today and they are likely to reach Jammu late this evening. “We have 1100 applications from outstation students and out of them maximum have left,” the Registrar said.
Pertinent to mention that the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) has provided an option to the students to write the ongoing exams at a later date.
Boycotting the exam, the non-local students left the NIT Srinagar campus in different groups amidst security arrangements. These students are likely to reach Jammu in the late evening and their further course of action will be decided tomorrow morning, sources said.
Meanwhile, J&K Police thwarted an attempt by three men from Delhi to enter the NIT for hoisting the national flag on the campus and expressing solidarity with the nationalist students.
BSKS chief Tajinder Singh Bhagga, along with his two associates, were intercepted by the Police personnel, deployed on the main entrance of campus, and were taken to nearby Police Station after they pulled out the national flag and tried to hoist it.
They were part of a group of about 150 people from Delhi who were intending to go to NIT but were stopped by Police at Lakhanpur on Saturday evening. The trio had given a slip to police and reached Srinagar.
“We have come from Delhi to hand over the tricolour to the students (for hoisting) but police has snatched the flags from us,” Bagga told reporters before he was taken into custody.
Meanwhile, the Board of Governors of NIT met today and took stock of the situation following the recent unrest on the campus after clashes between local and outstation students last week.
During the meeting, which was presided over by M J Zarabi, Chairman of the Board of Governors of NIT Srinagar, it was decided that attempts be made to restore normalcy at the earliest and academic activity be brought back on track, official sources informed.
The eight members of Governing Board, also comprising officials from the HRD Ministry and the State Government, were apprised of the current situation and incidents that had taken place last week. It was suggested that the faculty members should regularly interact with outstation students and also ensure a bonhomie between local and non-local students.
Sources said that the probe panel, which was constituted in wake of March 31 and April 1st clashes, could not submit its report before the Board of Governors because it didn’t carry the version of the students who were asked to appear before panel. “Without the version of students, who were identified by the panel because of their role in creating indiscipline, the report could not be closed and thus produced before the Board of Governors,” they added.
In view of the prevailing situation, an emergency meeting of the Non-Teaching Employees Association (NTEA) of NIT was also held today in which all aspects of the present unrest were discussed threadbare.
PTI adds from New Delhi:
A meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of HRD, scheduled to be held in Srinagar on Wednesday and to be attended by HRD Minister Smriti Irani and several MPs, has been postponed.
“The meeting which the HRD Minister was supposed to attend has been deferred,” a source said.
HRD Ministry officials, when contacted, did not give any reasons for the postponement.
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