BEd students stage a demonstration in front of the office of the vice-chancellor of North Bengal University in Siliguri. A Telegraph picture

Siliguri, March 22: A ray of hope for BEd students of North Bengal University (NBU)-affiliated colleges which have been debarred from holding examinations because they are not recognised by National Council for Teachers? Education (NCTE), Bhubaneswar.

NBU vice-chancellor P. K. Saha told The Telegraph today that West Bengal Council for Higher Education (WBCHE) has asked the varsity to appeal to the high court to allow the students to appear for their final exams through the recognised colleges.

?We are considering all possibilities, including pleading to the NCTE to relax some of its rules to secure the future of these students,? Saha said. ?It is unfair that only the students of our university have become victims though there are 29 colleges all over the state which are still conducting exams without any NCTE certification.?

An interim order of the high court on January 13, following a public-interest litigation, had debarred the students of eight colleges under NBU from appearing in their final exams because the colleges were not NCTE recognised.

Today, around 150 BEd students staged a demonstration in front of Saha?s office and submitted a memorandum asking the authorities not to hold exams for students of recognised colleges under the NBU either. The final exams are scheduled to begin on May 18.

?Like students from recognised institutions, we got admission to these NBU-affiliated colleges after qualifying in the common admission test conducted by the varsity,? Himadri Sarkar of Eastern Dooars BEd College said. ?Now the high court has passed a judgement debarring us from the final exams, jeopardising the career of over 800 students. All we want now is that the varsity must also put the exams of the recognised colleges on hold until our matter is sorted out and conduct exams for everybody together.?

Saha said such a thing is not possible. ?All we can promise is that we will hold a separate examination for them later on and bring them at par with others if the high court permits us to do so,? he said.

Meanwhile, the council has directed NBU not to admit any student to the non-recognised colleges. Following a meeting of the council on March 18, the body has also asked the varsity to direct the colleges to fill up all vacant teaching posts so that they are eligible to apply for NCTE recognition.

?The council has asked us to inform the chairman of the College Service Commission of the situation and seek the commission?s help in finding eligible teachers for these colleges,? Saha said. ?Several teaching posts are lying vacant because they are unable to find commission-empanelled candidates.?