Student strike: Forest college closed indefinitely

Forest College and Research Institute (FCRI) in nearby Mettupalayam was today closed indefinitely and hostel students asked to vacate following strike by nearly 150 students pressing for the implementation of their charter of demands which entered the third day.
The demands include 100 per cent placement as forest rangers to all the students of the College (100 per cent) and also announcement of results of tests held for recruitment for the posts and the students were on sit in dharna in the campus seeking the authority to implement their demands.
As the sit-in continued for the third day today, FCRI Dean Durairasu ordered "indefinite closure" of the college and hostel and asked the students --120 men and 42 women -- to vacate it, following which all the baggages were taken outside, sources in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), to which FCRI is affiliated, said.

Even after the closure, the students are sitting inside the campus and district officials, including Mettupalaayam Tahsildar, Krishnamurthy and police officials are carrying out negotiation with the striking students, they said.