Jalpaiguri/Raiganj, Feb. 1: Trouble broke out in two BEd colleges of the region today after it became clear that students of the institutions will not be allowed to sit for the final examination this year following a high court order.

Students of Ananda Chandra Teachers? Training College of Jalpaiguri ? popularly known as Jalpaiguri BEd College ? started an indefinite hunger strike while those of Raiganj BEd College locked up their principal and the teachers inside the premises till late in the night.

An order of Calcutta High Court passed on January 13 had mentioned that students of eight BEd colleges ? including those at Jalpaiguri and Raiganj ? under North Bengal University (NBU) will not be allowed to sit for their exam because the institutions were not affiliated to National Council of Teachers? Education (NCTE).

There are 220-odd students at Jalpaiguri BEd College and 68 at Raiganj.

General secretary of the students? union of Jalpaiguri BEd College Kaustav Bhattacharya blamed the college authority for not appointing a lawyer to plead their case in the high court.

Bhattacharya added that a three-member committee, including acting principal Subhendu Bikas Modok, had been to NBU yesterday to discuss the issue. ?But NBU officials made it clear that they will in no way disobey the high court order,? he said.

Raiganj college principal Apurba Dutta too pleaded helplessness. ?We are sympathetic to the students, but we do not have the power to tackle the situation. I have sent word to the NBU as well as the district magistrate who is the chairman of the governing body of the college,? Dutta said.

A letter issued by S. Sanyal, the inspector of colleges, NBU, addressed to principals and teachers-in-charge of the BEd colleges of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Itahar, Malda, Raiganj, Cooch Behar, Falakata and Kaldighi (Gangarampur) on January 24 this year clearly states the university?s stand on the matter. ?Principal/Teacher-in-Charge of the college shall inform the students that the students will not be permitted to appear at the BEd examination to be held in 2006 for the session 2005-06 in compliance with the order of Hon?ble Chief Justice V.S. Sirpurkar and Hon?ble Justice A. Ganguly of Calcutta High Court. The order shall be implemented with immediate effect,? reads the letter.

Currently, the college authorities and students are eagerly awaiting another hearing of the case scheduled for mid-February at the high court.