Ranchi, Sept. 10: Over 1,000 law students of Ranchi University (RU) are protesting against a rare decision of the varsity examination board to hold the same examination twice, allegedly succumbing to demands of student organisations.

A verbal altercation took place between higher officials of Ranchi University (RU), including vice-chancellor A.A. Khan and students of law over the decision.

Instead of finding an amicable solution to the problem, both sides have literally been left scratching their heads.

Students of Ranchi-based Chhotanagpur Law College and Jamshedpur-based Co-operative College, who are scheduled to take the second and fourth semester LLB examinations, are agitated over RU’s decision of holding both the exams twice, once before the students’ union poll and again after it.

Student union polls are scheduled to take place on October 8 this year at the college/PG department/institution level.

The students comprising mostly girls, raising slogans, today thronged Khan’s office just after the crucial syndicate meeting concluded this afternoon.

“Our demand is simple. As under normal circumstances, we want the law examinations to be held for one semester only. Two examinations for the same semester would lead to confusion and there is every chance that the papers might be easier and tougher for students taking the same exam in two different schedules,” said Daya Ekka, a fourth semester LLB student of Chhotanagpur Law College.

The controller of examinations, RU, Anil Kumar Mahto tried to pacify the students saying: “There would be two different sets of question papers and there are no chances of foul play,” he said. But students reasoned that one set might be easier than the other.

On September 9, the Ranchi University examination board decided to hold the second and fourth semester examinations twice in a bid to calm down both sections of students — firstly, those who want to take the examination before the student union polls and secondly, those after that.

The RU decision was prompted after student organisations called for cancellation of law examinations on pretext that it would affect the student union polls.