Ludhiana | PAU protest enters fifth day: 200 students decide to ‘not vote’

PAU, Ludhiana, officials on Friday refused to accede to the students’ demands in a meeting to which the protesting students gave a call that nearly 200 students will continue to protest and not take part in the electoral exercise to be held on Sunday

Impasse between the students and authorities of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) continued as the university officials on Friday refused to accede to the students’ demands in a meeting to which the protesting students gave a call that nearly 200 students will continue to protest and not take part in the electoral exercise to be held on Sunday.

PAU students protesting against offline exams outside the V-C office in Punjab Agricultural University, in Ludhiana on February 18, 2022. (Gurpreet Singh/ HT)

One of the protesting students said, “At a time when our democratic right of taking examination is being snatched from us, then what is the purpose of vote. We have decided to continue protest and may not be able to vote on February 20. PAU authorities are responsible for muzzling our right of voting.”

The move to take offline exams has triggered massive protest for nearly a week. Officials said exams would only be taken offline or through a third party.

One of the university officials requesting anonymity said only those BSc students who have not studied for the entire year are protesting against the university authorities, while other students have no issues.

The students said that there are several measures to counter cheating during the online exams, but university authorities are adamant on conducting the examination offline.

The students have staged a protest in front of Thapar Hall against the order.