April 9: Outstation students in Srinagar's National Institute of Technology who have been demanding that the turmoil-hit NIT be shifted from the Valley may have to remain content with the concession they have got.

A special exam later if they want to skip the coming semester starting from Monday.

Central government sources today said the Centre was unlikely to accept their demand to shift the institute or find them a place in another NIT.

"Shifting the institute is not even being considered. Migrating them to other NITs is not possible either," an HRD ministry official said.

Clashes had broken out at the institute last week between local and outstation students after some Kashmiris burst crackers and cheered for eventual champions West Indies in a T20 World Cup match that India lost.

On April 1, a day after the match, the outstation students had taken out a march. They staged a protest again on Tuesday when police used batons, injuring around a dozen and escalating the crisis.

The non-Kashmiri students have also complained that some faculty members had threatened to fail them in the exams ahead.

In Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh, who has been deputed to talk to the agitating students, said there was "no question" of shifting the institute. "We told them categorically... there is no question of even listening to the demand," Singh told reporters.

Singh had held talks with student representatives last evening. Officials from the HRD ministry and the state's education minister, Naeem Akhtar, were also present.

On placing students in any other NIT, Singh said migration was "not a routine" thing. "So it shall not be allowed."

Singh said the outstation students who had also called for postponing the exams had been given two options. "Those who want to appear in the exams as per schedule shall do it. Those who want to go home and appear in the exams later shall be allowed to sit in the second examination," he said.

The institute's senate, which met yesterday, had agreed to hold a special exam later for those who wanted to skip this semester. The NIT's board of governors is scheduled to meet on Monday.

On another key demand of the outstation students - action against the police personnel who used force against them - deputy chief minister Singh said a probe had been ordered and action would be initiated against "erring" officials.