Calcutta University has asked affiliated colleges where the central armed police force (CAPF) personnel have already entered, ahead of the Assembly polls, to continue classes in any format they deem fit to complete the syllabus on time.
The controller of examinations wrote to the college heads: “You are cordially requested to make necessary arrangements for holding regular classes in any mode.”
CU vice-chancellor Ashutosh Ghosh said that the troops have almost taken over entire buildings at several colleges. Thus, holding classes online is the only option for such colleges.
“In some colleges, the troops have taken buildings partly. They Such colleges can hold physical classes in other parts of the campus. Or else, they can hold classes in hybrid mode or online,” the VC said.
“But under no circumstances can regular classes be stopped. If classes are not held, the syllabus will remain incomplete, and students will suffer,” Ghosh said.
A CU official said they had to issue the instruction because they received complaints that some colleges were not conducting online classes, even though in-person classes cannot be held.
“Some of the colleges where the CAPF had partly taken over the campus were not even bothering to explore whether the available space could be utilised to hold classes physically. They were skipping their responsibilities,” the official said.
In Bengal, the central forces entered college premises in early March.
The Election Commission announced on March 15 that the elections would be held on April 23 and April 29.
The college heads have also been asked to take steps for the smooth conduct of the third-semester undergraduate examinations, which start on March 24 and end on April 14.
In February, college principals had been asked by the university’s controller of examinations to accommodate central forces without disrupting the semester exam schedule.
A CU official said the undergraduate programme had become exhaustive since the introduction of the four-year undergraduate programme in 2023 as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
“Students will struggle to write the next semester exams owing to a lack of preparation,” the CU vice-chancellor told Metro.
This newspaper reported on February 7 that the third-semester exams for undergraduate students at Calcutta University would be delayed by a month after students protested about an incomplete syllabus.
The exams for the theory papers, scheduled to start on February 23, will now begin on March 24.
In February, students staged a protest alleging that out of the 66 class days in the third semester, they got only 40 class days.
In late November 2025, CU decided to reduce the number of holidays in affiliated colleges because too many breaks were hindering completion of the syllabus for the four-year undergraduate programmes.
“Increasing class days has been a major concern. So the principals have been told to keep holding regular classes in any mode during the election season,” VC Ghosh said.
In June, CU decided to hold exams for the minor papers (formerly known as pass papers) taken by honours students in their own college, in an effort to gain more teaching days. Previously, students had to travel to another college (away centre) to write even minor papers, and teachers from a different college assessed their answer scripts.
“The scripts of the minor papers come to the university, which then is sent to colleges. The semester’s extended duration caused by away-centre exams for the minor papers used to cut into teaching days,” a CU official said.
Students will continue to write honours papers at away centres.