(Left) The police try to pacify the St Xavier’s College management officials and representatives of Rusu. Principal Nicholas Tete (right) and Rusu president Shyam Babu indulge in a heated argument at St Xavier’s College on Thursday. Pictures by Manik Bose

Ranchi, June 26: It was a day of high drama at St Xavier’s College as senior functionaries of the Ranchi University Students’ Union (Rusu) made accusations on irregularities in admissions to Intermediate and degree courses.

Police were called on the premises by the management of autonomous institution. Principal Nicholas Tete and other senior staff members indulged in a heated argument with Rusu members, who demanded a meeting with Tete over the alleged denial of admission to “genuine candidates” who met the criteria.

“Many students, who were denied admission despite having sufficient marks, approached us with their complaints. While those with lesser marks have got a seat. We wanted to speak with the principal on the issue but he denied our request and the college staff also got involved in a brawl with us,” said Shyam Babu, Rusu president, who is a student of GLA College, Daltonganj.

Student activists led by Babu, who owes allegiance to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Rakesh Kiran, the All Jharkhand Students’ Union (Ajsu) in-charge of university committee, tried to talk with Tete, who remained adamant.

Meanwhile, a heated exchange of words followed, which led to a scuffle between the office staff near the principal’s chamber.

Following this, a police team of Lower Bazaar reached the spot and the situation was brought under control.

Tete told The Telegraph that the students were alleging foul play in the admission procedure. “I asked them to send their complaints in writing. But they wanted to chat with me in my chamber over an issue which I do not even consider important. I told them to use the Right To Information (RTI) Act to get whatever information they want,” said Tete.

But the college management refused to accept an application filed under the RTI seeking information on the admission procedure in the college earlier.

Aggrieved student activists also approached the state chief information commissioner’s office and requested him to intervene into the matter for the “cause of genuine students”.

Tete added that admissions were made through cut-off marks and merit basis for Intermediate courses (Plus Two) while for degree courses it was only through an entrance test taken on Optical Mark Reader (OMR) sheets.

“We do have a management quota under which we admit Jesuit brothers and sisters,” the principal said.

When the correspondent from The Telegraph visited the college this afternoon, Tete was found holding a recommendation letter for admission written by RJD legislator Girinath Singh.

“We do get recommendation letters from politicians but this does not mean we entertain them,” he maintained. Interestingly, the main entrance of the college has a notice asking students to “beware of agents” who might dupe them with false promises.

St Xavier’s is the only autonomous institution under RU that enjoys a NAAC accreditation. Being a minority-affiliated college, Tete claimed, they are not in direct control of RU and Rusu.