Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 1: Up in arms against enhanced timing in the colleges under Cluster University Jammu, students of GCW Gandhi Nagar and other institutions today held a strong protest against this `arbitrary’ decision of change in the timing.
Shouting slogans against the Cluster University decision, the agitating students today boycotted their classes and marched towards Bikram Chowk where a protest dharna was organized.
The protesting students of GCW Gandhi Nagar, who were also joined by a few others from MAM College and GGM Science College, blocked the ever busy Bikram Chowk thus disrupting vehicular traffic for some time. Raising slogans, they were demanding immediate withdrawal of the university order on extending the college working hours from seven to nine hours.
Pertinent to mention here that according to an order issued by the Cluster University of Jammu, vide number CLUJ/Reg/2019/945-62, dated 07-09-2019, all the colleges under its jurisdiction shall now observe five-day week from October 1 with change in timing from 9 am to 5 pm, instead of 9 am to 3 pm while Saturday will be exclusively for co-curricular activities/skilling/research.
The College Teachers Association and a section of students are up in arms against this order and have been demanding either old timing from 9 am to 3 pm for the working hours or five-day week with holiday on Saturday with new timing but implementation of the same only with commencement of new semester session.
After registering their protest, the students dispersed off peacefully but announced to continue their struggle till the order on changed timing is withdrawn.
On the other hand, a spokesperson of Cluster University Jammu sought to clarify that the order on changed timing with five-day week is student friendly and they would now get more time from the teachers. It will also streamline the system and ensure better utilization of the time by the students, who need not to visit the college on Saturday if no co-curricular or skilling activity is scheduled, the spokesperson added.
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