Darjeeling, Nov. 19: North Bengal University has given special permission to Darjeeling Government College to admit students two months after the last date of admission.

The privilege was given only after the college decided to open a new section for the students.

Welcoming the move, Gorkha National Students’ Front yesterday withdrew the indefinite strike they had called on November 7.

The strike, which had paralysed the college, had been called in protest against North Bengal University’s decision to restrict admission to 150 students per section in colleges affiliated to it.

The student’s union has been demanding the college take in more students. They have also called a three-day strike of educational institutions earlier to press for their demand.

According to the GNSF, the university’s directive to take in only 150 students could not be applied to Darjeeling Government College since the year before the college had admitted more than 700 students in one particular section.

General secretary of the union Kismat Chhetri said: “We are pleased with the outcome and have already submitted a list of 140 students who have not yet been admitted to the college. In view of the special permission from NBU, we decided to withdraw the strike with immediate effect.”

The union maintained that 400 students were denied admission to colleges this year because of the fiat imposed by NBU.

Chhetri said: “We are confident that there will not be more than 150 students for admission now. We have already submitted the names of 141 to the officer-in-charge. But today we had a few more students coming. We are hoping that all of them will be accommodated.”

University vice-chancellor Piyush Kanti Saha confirmed the special relaxation given to Darjeeling Government College and added that the permission had been given in view of situation that had developed on campus.

“Keeping in mind the special situation prevailing there, we have allowed them to open a new section. We, however, are not providing any relaxation to the 150 per section norm which they have to follow,” he said.

Willey Henry, the officer-in- charge of the college said teachers from Philosophy and Economics departments would teach the students of the new section. “We have enough teachers in these departments and we have verbally informed the director of public instruction of this development.”