Pics by Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SR/AF)
Mangalore Aug 10: A joint protest was staged by the teachers and students of St Aloysius College and St Agnes College against the high-handedness of Mangalore University in front of the deputy commissioner's office here on Tuesday August 10.
Mangalore University has issued a circular to all its postgraduate departments and to its affiliated colleges with postgraduate programmes to deny admission to those students whose examination schemes are not on par with the scheme of the University. Due to this, the students of both St Aloysius and St Agnes Colleges are in a fix, as the colleges are autonomous and follow their own examination schemes.
The protest march began from St Aloysius College and terminated at the DC's office. Lecturer of St Agnes College Dr Rose Veera addressing the gathering said that education should not be controlled by any superpower but allowed to grow thus helping the students to explore their talents in the college without any fear.
Registrar (evaluation) of St Aloysius College Dr A M Narahari said autonomy means freedom and the autonomous college students are no less than the university students, so both have to be given equal importance. The official concerned who issued the circular ought to learn to take in students for postgraduate programmes based on their merit, he added.
He also said that the vice-chancellor and the registrar of the University have agreed to discuss the issue on phone and added that he was hoping to have a positive result soon.
Speaking to Daijiworld lecturer of St Aloysius College Alwyn D'Sa said that the scheme of examination with internal assessment component of 30 percent marks was approved by the state government in the presence of vice-chancellor and other officials.
Though UGC has come up with guidelines regarding autonomous colleges, Mangalore University has not made an attempt to understand the concept of autonomy, he added.
The colleges submitted a memorandum in this regard to the DC. The memorandum stated, "It is ironical that the university is admitting the students of other universities with different examination schemes but denying admission its own students... We are constrained to show our disapproval against this negative attitude of the university (that is) putting the future of thousands of innocent but brilliant students in to jeopardy."
" ...The registration fee of these students have been paid to the university funds... University has also approved the admissions of these students. We are afraid that the situation will go out of control if some immediate measures are not taken," the memorandum stated.