COIMBATORE: Tension prevailed at the PSG Arts & Science College campus here on Sunday afternoon as the students protested against the management for closing the institution till December 14 and asking them to vacate the hostels immediately.
As many as 1,300 boys and girls were staying in the hostel at PSG Arts & Science College from various districts across Tamil Nadu and from other states, with majority of them being girls.
Pointing out to a circular issued by Bharathiar University, Principal-in-charge Dr K M Chinnadurai they had to declare holiday till December 14 as the university had asked college staff be sent for exam paper valuation work.
Following which, the hostel students were asked to leave for their home immediately. Students were shocked by the management’s decision. Girl students were left in lurch as they could not inform their parents.
Agitated students questioned the management for declaring a holiday abruptly without any prior intimation and refused to go home. They squatted inside the campus. Principal-in-charge stated that they have to abide by the university’s circular and persuaded them to leave home. As students went on sit-in-protest near the entrance, the police was called in. They pacified the agitating students.
When contacted the Principal-in-Charge said that,”due to ISO internal audit on December 6, staff members will be busy with the work and hence December 7 being in-between, we declared holiday from December 6 to 14. But a few have spread the news as indefinite closure which is untrue”.
“We have sent circulars to colleges asking the staff to be sent for exam paper valuation from December 8 onwards. Hence the university have nothing to do with PSG Arts & Science College declaring holiday earlier”, says Bharathiar University Registrar, P Thirumalvalavan.
A faculty member of the college speaking on anonymity said that the management is afraid that the protest would get intensified as more college staff have joined our protest fearing that there institution will also be converted in to unitary university. Hence the students who are already agitated would join us on Monday in protesting the conversion, and this forced the management to declare holiday on Sunday”.