St Agnes Reschedules Two Exams After Protest, BJP MLAs Criticise Police Handling Of Student Protest

St Agnes College (Autonomous), Mangaluru, has decided to reschedule the end-semester examinations scheduled for October 19 and 22 following a student protest demanding that the exams be postponed in view of the Dasara festival. Meanwhile, BJP MLAs Vedavyas Kamath and Dr Bharat Shetty have criticised the police response to the protest and demanded action against the personnel involved.

A section of students gathered on the college campus on Monday, demanding the postponement of examinations in view of the Dasara festival.

In a statement, the college on Tuesday said the examinations had been scheduled as per the approved academic calendar, with no exams on gazetted public holidays. The draft timetable was circulated on September 11, giving students 15 days to raise objections or seek changes. The final timetable was published on September 26 after no objections or requests for changes were received, it said.

The college said the schedule had also taken into account the academic commitments of students undertaking internships and projects. The administration learnt about the proposed protest through social media at 11.36 am on Sunday, October 11, and approached the Police Commissioner’s office and local police as a precaution to ensure the safety of students and staff.

A section of students staged a protest on Monday, raising slogans against the institution. The college said no prior formal intimation had been given and no representation had been submitted to the authorities. However, after considering the students’ concerns, it had decided to reschedule the two examinations. The revised dates would be announced through official channels.

Meanwhile Mangalore City South MLA Vedavyas Kamath has strongly condemned the police action. He alleged that the police had used excessive force against the protesters, including female students. He said visuals of male police personnel allegedly pushing and assaulting women without the presence of women officers had appeared in the media.

Kamath said he had contacted district in-charge minister UT Khader, the district administration and the Police Commissioner, urging them to ensure that the protest was handled carefully.

He questioned why force had been used when the issue could have been resolved through discussions between students and the college management.

Referring to an earlier instance in December 2025, he said examinations scheduled for December 26 had been postponed at around 140 colleges under Mangalore University following requests in view of Christmas. The current demand, too, could have been considered through dialogue, he said.

Kamath also referred to an allegation that a student was assaulted for raising the slogan “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and demanded the immediate suspension of police officers found responsible for misconduct.

Mangalore City North MLA Dr Bharat Shetty, speaking at a press conference at the district BJP office, said students had sought a postponement rather than insisting on a holiday. The issue could have been settled through talks, but the administration and police had failed to handle it sensitively, he alleged.

Shetty questioned the deployment of male police personnel at a protest involving female students and said the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had the right to submit a representation. He also said he had spoken to officials after receiving calls from students and parents, urging them not to take steps that could affect the students’ future.

Both MLAs demanded action against police personnel found to have used excessive force.