Classes will be held in online mode at the National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT-C) till April 5 in the wake of the students’ protests since March 20 against the alleged attempts by the authorities to restrict their movement on the campus.
The students began their protests after an order was issued last week introducing night curfew regulations and closing late-night canteens by 11 p.m. A large number of them violated the night curfew for two successive days on March 20 and March 21 by organising cultural events on the campus. On March 22, they blocked the main entrance, blocking teachers and other staff from entering the campus, resulting in tension in the area. The decision to resort to online classes was taken following this.
Though NIT-C Director Prasad Krishna held talks with the functionaries of the Students’ Affairs Council (SAC), an elected students’ body, on March 22, it failed to yield any results. He also held an open session in a hall with the students, which also did not make any headway. According to reports, there was altercation between Mr. Krishna and the students and he walked out. Later, G.K. Rajanikant, Dean, Students Welfare, had to be taken out in an ambulance. The students also alleged that the e-mail id of the SAC was blocked by the authorities. Though another round of talks was reportedly held between the SAC functionaries and the administration on Saturday, it turned out to be inconclusive.
In an official release, the NIT-C authorities said that some of the faculty members were physically assaulted by a section of “rogue students” on March 22. “This matter has been reported to the police for further Investigation,” the release said. The authorities claimed that the restrictions were implemented with the utmost consideration for the health, safety, and academic success of the student community. Procedures are available to permit the students to proceed beyond the stipulated time for unforeseen circumstances or research activities. The time restriction was reasonable and did not curtail any activities to be performed by a student.
The authorities said the protest by students was not only illegal but also a violation of various laws of the land. They claimed that despite their efforts to communicate the rationale behind the restrictions, some students staged protests on the campus. The authorities said that Mr. Krishna had interacted with students for an extended period, addressing all their concerns during the conciliatory talks and all other allegations were fabricated and baseless.
