Vice‑principal alleges coercion after 23‑hour gherao; Calcutta University notified
Kolkata — The vice‑principal of Surendranath Law College, Mohammad Tarannum, has said she was forced to submit her resignation after being surrounded by students for about 23 hours during a gherao over attendance requirements for semester examinations, PTI reported on Saturday. She said she has sent both a letter and an email on the matter to the Calcutta University vice‑chancellor and the state higher education department, and intends to resume her duties on September 14.
Tarannum resigned on Friday, according to the report, after students staged the protest outside her office on September 10–11. The agitation followed a college notice stipulating that students must have at least 75 per cent attendance to be eligible to appear in semester exams. The attendance condition later became the focal point of a wider dispute during the filling up of examination forms.
“I will come to the college as usual on Monday and enter my room to discharge my responsibilities. I was forced to write the resignation letter and send an email by those students who were barred from appearing in the semester exams for not meeting the attendance criteria,” Tarannum said, PTI reported.
She alleged that during the roughly 23‑hour gherao she was denied basic amenities including water, electricity and food. Tarannum also criticised the college governing council chairman, Kaustav Bagchi, saying he was not acting in the academic interest of students or supporting disciplinary measures related to attendance enforcement. The report noted Bagchi is a BJP MLA and a lawyer.
- Core issue: enforcement of a 75% minimum attendance requirement for semester examinations.
- Action taken: students gheraoed the vice‑principal for about 23 hours, after which she resigned.
- Administration response: Tarannum has written to Calcutta University and the higher education department; she says she will return to duty on September 14.
The dispute highlights recurring tensions in Kolkata's higher education institutions over attendance rules and exam eligibility, matters that often draw in college authorities, university administrations and, at times, political actors. The involvement of a governing‑council chairman who is also a legislator has the potential to escalate the matter into a larger administrative and political issue within the city's academic community.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 10–11 September | Students gheraoed vice‑principal for ~23 hours over 75% attendance rule |
| 11 September (afternoon) | Tarannum submitted resignation, says she was forced to do so |
| 12 September | Tarannum informed Calcutta University and the higher education department; announced intent to resume duties on 14 September |
Tarannum denied allegations linking her to the Trinamool Congress and said she had only been associated with Left politics in the past without having worked to favour any particular interest. PTI reported she emphasised a commitment to transparency in the examination system and to discipline within the law college.
The students involved were reported to be protesting the college’s strict application of the attendance threshold during the process of filling exam forms. According to the PTI account, the students said that Bagchi intervened and indicated that those with attendance below the 75 per cent benchmark could be allowed to appear for examinations — a claim that has raised questions about consistency in rule enforcement.
As the matter now stands, the university and the state higher education department have been notified, and college operations are likely to see close scrutiny in the coming days, especially ahead of examinations. The decision by the vice‑principal to signal her return on September 14 will be watched by students, faculty and university officials for indications of how the dispute will be resolved in an institution that is part of Kolkata’s long‑standing collegiate landscape.
