Pharmacy students in Himachal Pradesh held a protest outside the state's Technical University on Tuesday, seeking relief in examination rules. The demonstrators, numbering in the hundreds and representing institutions statewide, performed a sit-in demanding one-year relaxation to take their exams. Under existing regulations, students with pending papers from earlier semesters must repeat the full academic year. Protesters argued this policy is unjust and called for a fair opportunity to clear backlogs without losing an entire year. They chanted slogans criticizing the university management and threatened to escalate their movement if ignored. University officials explained that examination conduct follows strict guidelines set by the Pharmacy Council of India, which bar first-semester failures from progressing to the next term. The administration has already contacted the council requesting the same relaxation previously granted to older student batches.
University Defends Rules While Seeking Council Relaxation
Rajesh Kumar, Dean of Himachal Pradesh Technical University, stated that B. Pharmacy examinations strictly follow norms from the Pharmacy Council of India. According to these guidelines, students failing their first semester cannot sit for subsequent semester exams. The university has informed the council about the ongoing issue and formally requested one-year relaxation for affected students, similar to concessions granted to previous batches. Meanwhile, protester Nitesh Kumar criticized the administration for ignoring peaceful demonstrations. He emphasized that forcing students to repeat an entire year due to single backlogs is unreasonable. Students warned of intensified agitation unless their demand for a fair examination chance is addressed promptly by authorities.
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