Guwahati (Agency): Students of IIIT Manipur are getting restless to return to campus to cover the syllabus, but the institute has directed the senior batches, including the locals, to continue attending online classes from home for some more time amid the present crisis.
The outstation students were evacuated on May 8 and 9, days after the clashes first erupted in the state. They have not come back since then.
The second, third and fourth-year students said their repeated pleas to the institute to allow them to come back to make up for the academic losses have gone unheard.
However, institute director, Prof Krishnan Baskar told TOI on Monday that a directive has been issued asking the third and fourth-year students to join physical classes from October 1.
IIIT Manipur is currently functioning with 240 first-year students on campus. For all other batches, classes are being held online. But they too want to return even if it means “risking their lives” as end-semester exams are around the corner. Baskar assured that the institute is planning to call the rest of the students soon.
“Practical and physical exams will be held on campus itself. But at the moment, we are a little worried about food supplies, drinking water and safety issues,” he said.
Without mobile internet, the students are heavily dependent on the institute’s broadband network.
“We want the institute to resume the offline classes but they are not agreeing to it, citing lack of space and accommodation,” said a student.
Several students alleged that the authorities refused to hold a meeting with them to address the issue and said all batches will be called for an offline end-semester examination, which is likely to be held in November-December.
Some students also alleged that they won’t get a refund of the hostel fees just because they would stay on campus only for a few weeks before the exams begin. “Either they should call us to campus now or conduct the entire semester, including exams, online and refund our hostel and mess fees,” said a student. (Courtesy: The Times of India)
