Even as students organisations continue agitation against the proposal to grant autonomous status to Maharaja’s College, nobody has a clear idea about the government decision. The college authorities maintained they had not take a decision in this regard so far.
According to sources in the college, the office of the Director of Collegiate Education has asked the college authorities to furnish details of the college, infrastructure and number of students etc. But, no further decision has been taken, said sources
Meanwhile, agitating students on Thursday burnt College principal P Latha Raj in effigy alleging that she was in favour of the autonomy. Marking their protest, the students under the auspices of Maharaja’s College Samarakshana Samithi had on Wednesday staged symbolic hanging in the campus.
Protest among teaching staff is also brewing. According to sources, neither the teaching staff nor the students have been given any orientation regarding autonomous status and nobody knew the pros and cons of autonomous status.
“If autonomous status is granted, the teachers will not be able to maintain the standards of teaching as they will be forced to carryout the job of non-teaching staff too. There should be a clear policy on the infrastructure, staff placement and the curriculum planning,” said a few members of the teaching staff of Maharaja’s College.
Meanwhile, the principal maintained that students protested after she asked them to remove the nooses used to stage symbolic hanging by protestors on Wednesday.
“The nooses were right at the entrance of the College, and I asked the students to remove them as the strike was over. I think this provoked students to turn against me,” the principal said.
“She further clarified that autonomous status for college is a decision of the state government and head of the institution was innocent in the in the matter,” she said.