Engineering students block road traffic

Palanpur, Gujarat, Nov 26 (UNI) Slogan shouting engineering-students blocked the traffic on the roads today as the authorities turned down their demand to reschedule the examination dates in view of the forthcoming assembly elections.

According to police, as many as 500 students from all six engineering colleges affiliated to Hemchadarchrya North Gujarat University (HNGU) had assembled in the campus since morning shouting slogans demanding change in their examination schedule and also blocked the traffic on the roads.

According to the students they were beaten up and not allowed even to stand on the roads outside the campus. Students leader Raju Desai said, ''Election comes once in five years while date of the semesters can be changed conveniently. We want to vote, and have been requesting the HNGU authorities since last thursday to accept our demand and postpone the examination schedule.'' City police Inspector R M Bhadoriya however denied that the students were beaten up, but said that six students have been detained for the violent protest.

Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor K K Shah said,''Rescheduling the examination will adversely affect the result dates and create a placement problem. Many after their degree would like to go outside the states where none will wait for them.'' The controller of examination Bharatsinh Rathod later said, ''we are going to shift the examination schedule. Now the examination which was to take place on 3rd will commence on 18th of next month We hope the students will accept the new schedule and the deadlock comes to an end.'' UNI XR-VNB RN SM2103