Hunger strike for more Hill college seats

In DGC, there were 4,933 applicants seeking admission, while last year there were only 1900.

Demand to increase in the number of seats during new admission in hill colleges

REZA PRADHAN, SNS, DARJEELING, 22 SEPTEMBER 2020 : The president of the apolitical United Students' Front (USE), Dipika Mukhia today observed a 12-hour hunger strike, demanding increase in the number of seats during new admission in hill colleges for the 2020-2021 session. According to her, she will continue with her protest until the USE demand is met.

Ms Mukha went on the strike at 10 am at the Darjeeling Government College gate.

"Due to the pandemic, students from the hills have not been able to go outside for admissions and have applied mostly in colleges in the hills. Due to this, the number of applicants is more and seats are less. Students scoring a good percentage are also not getting admissions," she said.

College officials said that the Darjeeling Government College (DGC) is flooded with applications from students this time and that the number has doubled than last year.

"This year, there were 4,933 applicants seeking admission, while last year there were only 1900. The main reason for such a rise in the number could be the Covid pandemic as parents in the district do not want to send their children outside," DGC officer-in-charge Projwal C Lama said.

According to him, the college has around 1900 seats in total in the Honours and Pass courses.

"The 5th merit list of Honours subjects is already out, and we are seeing that those that have made it to the list have scored above82  percent. Earlier on, students scoring high marks did not come here for admissions, so those getting 70 to 75 percent also used to get admission in Honours courses,"He said, adding that only the first list for Pass course was out till now.

On the hunger strike, Mr Lama said that it was a matter of higher authorities to look into. On their demand, the USF president, on the other hand, said, "We met the North Bengal University Registrar on 14 September and discussed the number of new admission seats in colleges in the hills, but our demand has not been met so far. If our demand is not met, I will observe the hunger strike tommorow too."

In a letter to the NBU Registrar, the USE has also maintained that students from the financially weaker section of society living in tea gardens, forest areas and remote areas in the hills are already facing problems due to the Covid19 situation.

One Smriti Rai from Takdah, who is seeking admission in the DGC, said she has scored 80 percent marks, but that her name did not figure in the English Honours or even the general list. "What about those who have scored lower marks? We have dreams and to follow them we have to be graduates, but if we cannot study further, what will we do?" she said.

The student front of the Gorkha National Liberation Front has also supported the apolitical USE' s demand.

(Courtesy & source- The Statesman- https://epaper.thestatesman.com/2831533/Siliguri-The-Statesman/23RD-SEPTEMBER-2020#page/3/3)