Students on the NIT campus on Thursday. Picture by Jai Prakash

The freedom of National Institute of Technology (NIT) students indulging in en masse skipping classes would now come at a price heavier than they can think of. The institute will deduct their marks in the semester examination.

The NIT administration has decided to take strict action against those going for en masse bunking usually a day after or before a holiday.

At a meeting headed by the newly appointed NIT director, Asok De, and attended by the registrar, all five deans and 11 heads of departments on Wednesday afternoon, it was decided that strict action would be initiated against the students indulging in en masse bunking of classes.

A notice issued to all NIT departments on Thursday reads: “All the students of the institute are hereby informed that if they remain absent en masse for more than once in any theory class/lab in a semester, the attendance mark allotted for that theory class/lab in that semester will be set to zero for all such students.”

The new rule would be implemented from the current academic session.

Sanjay Kumar, a professor at civil engineering department, said: “It will definitely help in improving attendance as 75 per cent is mandatory.”

Computer science and engineering department head M.P. Singh said: “We have received a notice from the institute administrative office about students’ marks to be set to zero in allotted marks for attendance who involve in en masse bunking of classes.” Singh added that 10 per cent of total 100 marks for a paper has been allotted for attendance. If there is en masse bunking of students in a particular theory or lab class, all the marks that they get for attendance will be set to zero.

Singh said imposing fine on students indulging in en masse bunking was also discussed in the meeting but most of the teachers felt it would incur financial burden on the students’ parents.

Sources said a day after or before the institute-specified holiday, students go for en masse skipping of classes in consultation among themselves. A senior teacher said: “If there is a two-day holiday during Durga Puja, students skip classes the next day too.”

The students from Bihar, Jharkhand or neighbouring districts of Uttar Pradesh mostly opt for en masse bunking of classes. Many of them go to their hometown before festivals and return late.

According to the NIT rules, 50 per cent of students belong to Bihar.

Students have mixed reaction to the new rule. Ayush Vardhan, a second-year computer science student, said: “It will surely help as several others used to suffer for a few earlier.” A second-year mechanical department student said: “Many a time students residing at faraway places cannot return just a day after a festival but they should not be penalised for this.”