The stand-off between the Khalsa College’s students and its management over the alleged suicide by a student allegedly due to faculty pressure, ended on Wednesday. As the management agreed to some of the demands of the students, the week-long protest was called off at Tuesday midnight.
The call for cancelling the protest came a day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court had prohibited protest within 500 yards radius of the Khalsa College. On Wednesday morning, a meeting was held between the students and the management. It was decided in the meeting that the management would accept a few demands of the students.
It was agreed that the Principal, head of the department (HOD) and the Registrar, against whom the case has been registered and currently “on leave”, will not interfere in the functioning of the college. In their place, only the new acting appointees will take decisions.
Acting principal, registrar and HOD (Agriculture) have been appointed in lieu of the earlier incumbent.
The college spokesperson said that the students demanded that they should be suspended. “We have decided to conduct a thorough inquiry in the matter and based on the outcome and the evidence, decisions will be taken otherwise it would be violation of rules,” said the spokesperson.
It was assured that all efforts will be made to complete the inquiry by the management within ten days’ period. At the same time, it was decided that the College management and the faculty would not adopt vindictive attitude towards the students. The management has given a categorical assurance that no student who has participated in the agitation will be allowed to victimized in any manner.
It was also decided that the students roll numbers will be given to the detained students, who will attend extra classes.
Besides, the evaluation of the answer sheets of the detained students will be done from outside the College and there will be no vindictive attitude adopted against the protesting students. The students can even see their and anybody else’s answer sheets by paying some fees. Besides, the examination, which were scheduled to start from Tuesday and had been postponed due to agitation, will soon be conducted as soon as possible, possibly within a week’s time. It was decided special measures will be taken to address security concerns raised by girls student living in hostels.