Odisha Law Students On Warpath, Besiege Utkal University

Bhubaneswar: The students of four law colleges in Odisha agitated in front of the main gate and vice-chancellor’s office at Utkal University here on Monday.

The agitators were protesting against the Higher Education Department’s decision to hold four semester exams in the offline mode.

The agitating students belonged to University Law College, Capital Law College, MS Law College and The Law College.

They alleged that the university did not conduct a single exam for one year and gave them a verbal assurance that all students will be promoted. “Now, at the eleventh hour, they have told us to appear for the 7^th, 8^th, 9^th and 10^th semester exams in the offline mode in six months,” an agitator told the media.

“According to the Bar Council of India’s guidelines, the students should be promoted to the next semester. But the Higher Education Department and the Utkal University authorities have issued a notification for offline examination in gross violation of the guidelines,” he added.

The students also said Utkal University had conducted the internal exams online and therefore it should also conduct the external exams in the same mode.

The students also submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor through the registrar.