Bengal Education Minister advises students to refrain from politics

Days after former and present vice chancellors of University of Calcutta advised students to refrain from politics, West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Saturday also urged students not to adopt pressure tactics on teachers and authorities to fulfil their demands.

"The Calcutta High Court has banned 'gherao'. Blockade of ingress and egress is against the law. I always say that no student should use pressure tactics on teachers to fulfill their demands," the Minister said.

University of Calcutta's new interim Vice Chancellor Ashutosh Ghosh, who took charge on Friday for a six-month period, said: "I have to take some measures to ensure that proper environment for education prevails in the University. 'Gherao' is one of biggest reason why the environment of education has destroyed. I will try to ensure that 'gherao' does not happen."

He said that he could take punitive actions if and only 'gherao' would be made illegal.

Sugato Marjit, whose tenure as the interim vice chancellor of the University ended on Thursday, had said students would not gain much from politics.

Resorting to pressure tactics, confining professors and strikes should be banned, he added.

"He has spoken on the basis of his experience in education field and we should respect it," said West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi when asked about Marjit's advice.

--IANS

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