The Cooperative School of Law in Thodupuzha, Idukki, witnessed dramatic scenes on Tuesday after a group of students threatened to jump off the roof of college building following the suspension of seven students. This comes a day after they staged a protest against alleged overgrading by teachers.
According to the protesting students, the college management favoured a student of first-semester BBA-LLB programme by awarding excess marks, which was against the college norms. Jifnas K. Fhakrudeen, union chairman of cooperative college, said the maximum permissible internal marks for a student has been fixed at 20 out of 25. “But the teachers from the college generously gave 24 marks to a woman student, who did not even attend the classes properly,” he said.
The students staged a protest in front of the college on Monday seeking action against the teachers for overgrading. They had earlier raised a complaint before the Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) Vice-Chancellor and Higher Education Minister in this regard.
On Tuesday, the college suspended seven students based on a ragging complaint raised by a student.
Unrelenting students
Following the suspension order, a group of students, including girls, raised suicide threats from the roof of the three-storey building, demanding revocation of the order and resignation of Principal Aneesha P.A. The protest started around 3 p.m. A police team led by the Thodupuzha Deputy Superintendent of Police (DYSP), and the Fire and Rescue Services’ personnel were in position in front of the college building to avoid any untoward incident.
After discussions with the students, the management purportedly agreed to revoke the suspension order. However, the students continued the protest demanding the resignation of the Principal.
“The school is trying to cover up the issue in the name of a false complaint. Most of the suspended students have not even spoken to the student who filed the complaint,” he said.
College Principal Aneesha P.A. was not available for comments.
