Biju Patnaik Institute of Technology (file picture)

Bhubaneswar, April 17: Students of various engineering colleges affiliated to Biju Patnaik Institute of Technology (BPUT) today staged protests demanding publication of the withheld examination results.

Results of about 2,000 students in the second and fourth semesters had been withheld since last 10 months, said members of BPUT Students’ Organisation (BSO). The agitating students blocked the roads and stopped college buses at Nalco Square, Rasulgarh and Jayadev Vihar.

Classes in certain colleges of the city were affected following the protest. “Our results have been kept withheld since months and we are not able to appear for campus placements. It’s affecting our career,” said Dwarika Mohanty of BSO. Students also demanded the issuing results of the answer sheets given for rechecking.

“I had submitted my papers for rechecking June last year. It has been more than a year now. I don’t know when they are going to publish the results. I wish I had not given it for rechecking,” said Karan, a student.

About 500 students have submitted their papers for rechecking. In November last year, the students had ransacked the BPUT campus office here demanding their results. “The vice-chancellor had promised to meet our demands but nothing has been done,” said Mohanty.

The students are also demanding a central placement cell, uniform fee structure, and adherence to the academic calendar. “Exams are not held on time, results are delayed, the four-year BTech course has been extended to five years and the two-year MTech course to three years. The situation is moving from bad to worse,” said Bibhuti Rath, another student.

On the other hand, the university continues to struggle with a handful of staff.

Although the varsity has brought out advertisements for recruitment of new staff, no appointments have been done so far. The existing employees were engaged in the evaluation of the third and first semesters, said a BPUT official. The students today threatened to intensify their agitation if their demands were not met. “We will be forced to resort to extreme steps,” said Mohanty.