Stand-in BIT teachers hold tech college Exams

Telegraph: May 2008
Stand-in BIT teachers hold tech college tests

Students arrive on NIT campus to take their viva voce. Picture by Srinivas
Jamshedpur, May 8: Even as the teachers continued with their strike, the viva voce for the third and fourth year students began today at National Institute of Technology.
The management of the premier engineering college, however, brought in teachers from BIT, Mesra, for conducting the viva voce as the teachers of the institute are on strike. The viva began from 9am today and continued till 5pm with a break of two hours inbetween.
Acting National Institute of Technology director Akhileshwar Mishra confirmed that the viva voce started today and would continue for the next four days.
He said the end-semester viva voce was being conducted under the supervision of professor-in-charge (examination) A.M. Tigga.
He added that the teachers from BIT, Mesra, would conduct interviews till Sunday.
“As the teachers are on strike and have declared to remain aloof from even the non-teaching activities in the institute, we had no other option than to bring in teachers from outside. The students are being made to appear for the viva voce in some way or the other,” said Mishra.
After holding the end semester examination on May 5 and 6, the college authorities postponed the examination for an indefinite period. Students of first year and second year were asked to go home and their hostels were vacated after two days of end-semester examination.
Mishra said he was yet to receive any communication from the human resource development ministry or the chairman of the board of governors regarding the appointment of S.K. Sarangi as the new director. Speculation is rife that S.K. Sarangi, who is at the helm of affairs National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, at present, would be given the additional charge of National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur.
The striking teachers are, however, hopeful of appointment of the new director by May 12.
M.K. Agrawal, the president of National Institute of Technology Teachers’ Association, said that the ministry of human resource development is in touch with the director of National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, and the latter may be given the new assignment with the additional charge as the director of National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur, anytime.
“We would continue our strike till the new director joins the institute. But we hopeful that the new director would be coming here in the next couple of days,” said Agrawal.