Students of masters in finance control request PU proctor Shardendu (left) not to withdraw the course, on the Patna University campus on Wednesday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, May 4: Students of masters in finance control in Patna University (PU) heaved a sigh of relief after vice-chancellor Sudipto Adhikari assured them that their course would not be closed.

The VC’s assurance came after continuous protests of the students, supported by various students’ bodies.

Sources in the university said more than 70 students of masters in finance control, both from the current batches and the former students, reached the university main campus to meet the VC.

As a precautionary measure the university administration closed down the main gate, preventing students from entering the campus.

Later, on the initiative of P.K. Poddar, the dean of students’ welfare, five students from the group were allowed to meet him. University sources said the VC assured that the course would not be closed and neither will the course be declared as “zero session”.

The VC also assured the students that the university would form a committee, which will meet department head of the course, so that necessary infrastructure can be provided to the department for running the course.

Shahnawaz, a student of the course said: “The VC also claimed students should not go behind the reports in the media that course will be closed as the university will soon issue a notification for admission for the next semester.”

After meeting the students’ bodies, Adhikari called for a meeting with university officials to discuss on the issue of running the course.

Earlier on Tuesday, students of the course took out a protest march from Patna Science College to PU main campus denouncing the university administration for “playing with the future of students”.

According to the case records, Patna University issued a notification in the last week of April, stating that masters in finance control programme for the session 2011-13 has been declared as zero session due to lack of minimum infrastructure provided to run the course.

Shardendu, the proctor of Patna University told The Telegraph: “For the time being the course will remain functional as its closing down will affect many students.”

He said the decision to close down the course was taken by the head of department of the course because of a lack of infrastructure.

But at the meeting chaired by the VC, it was decided that the course would remain functional, as infrastructure issues are not confined to just this course.

University officials said in the past 50 years many courses and departments have been opened in the Patna University, particularly at Darbhanga House.