Jalpaiguri, Jan. 30: Over 120 students of the Ananda Chandra Teachers? Training College here confined their principal to his office today, alleging administrative inactivity in procuring affiliation from National Council of Teachers? Education (NCTE).
The college had lost its affiliation in 1998 due to lack of proper infrastructure. Students, however, went on taking admission, as the degree given by this unaffiliated college was valid within the state.
Problems cropped up last year, when Calcutta High Court asked twenty such colleges across the state to suspend all academic activities with immediate effect, as they did not have proper affiliation. As a result admission to these colleges has been stalled and examinations have been postponed, leaving the current batch of students in the lurch.
?We want the crisis to be solved immediately and will resort to a sit-in hunger strike otherwise,? said Kaustav Bhattacharya, the general secretary of the students? union.
The angry students claimed that despite a decision being taken at the general body meeting that a lawyer would be appointed in the high court to take up the case, nothing has been done so far.
?Members of the NCTE team who visited our college recently had asked the authorities to send a presentation on the college to their headquarters in Bhubaneswar. But the administration did not undertake any such initiative,? Bhattacharya added.
With their examination scheduled for March this year, students of the current batch have almost finished their practice teaching sessions.
?There is a possibility that the college will get a NCTE affiliation next year, but what will become of the current batch of students,? Bhattacharya .
Principal of the college Subendu Bikas Modok said they are aware of the problem and are trying to address it. ?We are aware of the problem and have arranged for the necessary infrastructure. During their recent visit here, members of the NCTE team expressed satisfaction during their visit and I think we will have the affiliation soon,? Modok said.
