Over 100 students at Delhi’s St Stephen’s College have been suspended on grounds of having insufficient attendance at the morning assembly.
These students who missed the morning assembly at college have also been debarred from appearing for the upcoming exams.
The issue began on February 4 when college authorities sent out emails to students and sought that appointments be set up with their parents with the principal regarding their absence.
However, on seeing no response, college authorities on February 17 sent out another notice debarring them from appearing for the upcoming semester examinations.
Soon after, students and teachers reached the principal, John Varghese with representations to withdraw the order immediately.
“For many of us, parents reside out of Delhi and setting up a meeting in such short deadline is not feasible. When some of us attempted to meet him without parents and give an explanation, there was outright rejection,” said one of the students.
Teachers and students alike have called this move an uncalled for one and said that this served no purpose.
Associate Prof Sanjeev Grewal, who is among the faculty to express dismay said that shortage of attendance in morning assembly cannot be grounds for debarring students from appearing for exams.
“”Making assembly attendance compulsory may be violative of the fundamental rights of students under Articles 25 & 28(3) of the Constitution. College assembly has always involved religious prayers & reading from religious scriptures,” he added.
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