Bengaluru: As many as three lakh engineering students across the state boycotted classes on Friday seeking attention from officials of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) for their various demands.
Thousands flocked under different banners in the city majorly at Mysore Bank Circle and Anand Rao circle for protests organised by All India Democratic Students’ Organization & VTU Students’ Struggle Committee and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, respectively.
Among major demands was the removal of year back and critical year back system for non-CBCS (Choice-Based Credit System) students. Students voiced against the varsity asking the officials to conduct supplementary exams for CBCS students.
The delay in results along with constant errors in the evaluation processes and the confusions regarding publishing schedules and timetables for different examinations were also being pointed out and questioned in public by student leaders. Students said that some had to appear for 16 to 20 exams within a span of 50 days, some even writing two on the same day.
“The basic training measures imparted at VTU is outdated at the moment resulting in most graduates remaining unemployed. The varsity needs to look into this along with numerous issues affecting student-life across the state with immediate effect,” said Guruprasad, ABVP representative for tech students. He added that protests would be intensified if the varsity decides to continue neglecting student demands.
State Vice-President of AIDSO Ravinandan B.B asserted that the impractical decisions of the varsity has led to more than 50 thousand lives being at stake. Shravan Kumar, co-convener of VTU Students’ Struggle Committee said the huge turnout and pressure exerted by top bureaucrats on the issue, has provided the students some hope. “The VC has now asked for eight days time to resolve all issues. We hope that executive committee meeting scheduled on September 5 would take student-friendly decisions,” he said.
