Regional College of Management students scuffle with police personnel near Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 22: Agitating students of Regional College of Management had a scuffle with the police after they tried to barge into Raj Bhavan, official residence of the governor.

The students have been on a hunger strike since February 1 demanding original degree certificates from the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT). They alleged that though the governor had assured them of solving their problem, nothing had been done so far.

“We had met the governor earlier this month and apprised him of the developments. But so far no initiatives have been taken to solve our problem,” said Biplab Dixit, an agitator.

The students also threatened to intensify their agitation.

In order to avoid any untoward incident, a platoon of police including senior officials, rushed to the spot and held discussions with the agitators.

However the students continued their agitation near Raj Bhavan and demanded a meeting with the governor. Women police personnel had to be deployed as most of the protesters were girls.

The problem is a fall out of a face-off between the Regional College of Management and the BPUT.

While the university wanted the RCM authorities to admit students from the Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) list, the former admitted students through the Common Admission Test (CAT), Xaviers Aptitude Test (XAT) and Management Aptitude Test (MAT). BPUT has, therefore, not provided original certificates to last four batches of students of the college.

Later in the evening, the students staged a road blockade for around one hour.

“We have been sitting on hunger strike for more than two months and more than 10 students have been hospitalised. But instead of solving our problem, authorities of the institute have been threatening us. We have also met the minister and higher officials of department of technical education. But nothing has been done so far,” said Raza Quadir, a student of the institute.