Students of GM College in Sambalpur at the principal’s office. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, Oct. 25: Students of Gangadhar Meher (Autonomous) College today gheraoed the college principal while protesting against the delay in issue of identity cards and syllabus.

The students, however, called off their agitation after college authorities assured them that they would resolve the issue within a week.

“The students have not yet received their identity cards and syllabus. We will appear for our first semester examination in December, but we are yet to know the syllabus. We cannot avail of the library facility because we do not have identity cards. One needs to produce the identity card to borrow books from the library,” said Saida Bano, a Plus Three first-year student of Gangadhar Meher College.

“The syllabus is available in the market. But, the syllabus of autonomous colleges will be available in the college only. The semester examinations are scheduled in December, but we are yet to get the study programme,” Saida said.

“The new students, who have taken admission in the college, are facing problems. Even the internal examinations are over with the students not knowing the full syllabus. Though we have filled up forms for the first semester exams, we are yet to know what to study for it,” said an agitating student.

Principal of the Gangadhar Meher (Autonomous) College Sulok Sundar Mohanty agreed that the newly admitted students had not been issued the identity cards.

“This is a regular problem of the college. But, this year, the process to issue identity cards got delayed because of e-admission,” said Mohanty.

“Admissions to various Plus Three courses were over in September. As the e-admission was conducted in several phases, there was delay in obtaining the records,” said Mohanty.

“Earlier, the admissions used to be over by August. But, this year, it got delayed by one month. Hence, there has been a delay in issuing the identity cards,” said Mohanty.

“The problem would be resolved within a week. Teachers of respective departments have been instructed to start the process. We will issue identity cards to the commerce students from today,” he said.