Calcutta University postpones exams; no link to our foundation day rally, says TMCP

Calcutta University (CU) has postponed its undergraduate examinations, which more than 10,000 students are scheduled to take.

The BSc Part I practicals (honours) and BFAD (Bachelor in fashion and apparel designing) theory exams, which were going to be held on August 28, will be rescheduled.

A notification issued on Friday by CU’s Controller of Examinations, Jayanta Sinha, read, “Undergraduate examinations scheduled on 28.08.2018 have been deferred. The revised date will be announced shortly.”

August 28 is the foundation day of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (student wing). To mark the occasion, party president and chief minister Mamata Banerjee will address a rally near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on Mayo Road.

“This is a clear example of how the ruling party has turned education institutions into party offices. They are just following what the ruling party is dictating. The examinations have been deferred so that students who are members of TMCP can attend the foundation day rally,” alleged SFI state president Pratik Ur Rahman.

The TMCP denied the claims. “It is an internal matter of the university and only its authorities can clarify why they have taken such a decision. We have nothing to do with this decision,” said a student wing leader.

Another TMCP leader said that the ruling party had asked them to ensure a huge turnout on August 28. CU Vice-Chancellor Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee was not available for comment. TMCP controls more than 90 per cent of the student unions at the 145 colleges affiliated to the university.

Sources said the move is aimed as a reply to the BJP, which had organised a meeting at the same venue on August 11, addressed by its national president Amit Shah.

Mamata is likely to make some key announcements at the rally, including naming the new TMCP president. The post has been lying vacant since Jaya Dutta was removed from the position in June.
News Source (Indian Express)