Darjeeling Hill University Crisis: Students Face Setback as Administration Stalls

Having not yet received their final mark sheets and diplomas, more than 160 students who completed their post-graduation at Darjeeling Hill University (DHU) in 2023 are facing a problem in their ability to continue their education.

The varsity, which was established by the state government in December 2021, lacks the vice-chancellor and other administrators that are necessary to oversee the organization. Since last year, admittance to the varsity has also ceased due to this circumstance.

Samrakchan Chhetri, a DHU graduate with a master's degree in English, claimed to be among the victims denied admission to a university course.

"I took the MA final test in July of the previous year. My certificate and mark sheet are missing. There are 163 kids in my cohort that are dealing with this issue overall. Chhetri said, "All we have is a printout of the marks, which we obtained after the results.

37 students from the English department, 31 from the math and history departments, 2 from mass communication, 23 from the Nepali department, and 39 from the political science department are among them.

The pupils also said that around 350 additional people were still enrolled in the course and had not finished it.

"These pupils are having similar difficulties. The varsity has not hosted any classes—not even online classes—for the last six months. It seems that, similar to us, they will also lose a year to pursue further education. Another student who passed the previous year said, "We weren't even allowed to apply for employment or show up for recruiting examinations.

Some varsity teachers, according to a teacher situated in the highlands, have not received their salary in around six months.

At DHU, there isn't an administrative official. As a result, educators are not receiving their pay and are hesitant to teach," he said.

The Democratic Revolutionary Student Front (DRSF), a breakaway section of the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) in the highlands, has launched a campaign in response to a stalemate at the university.

They recently staged a protest on the DHU's makeshift campus in the hill town of Mungpoo, and they asked to meet with the governor, C.V. Ananda Bose.

"We seek a well-functioning university with proficient faculty, timely release of official transcripts and pertinent paperwork, legal certainty concerning the validity of their degrees, appropriate facilities and management," said DRSF President Aryan Rai.

The crisis, according to Anit Thapa, chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), was caused by the governor's refusal to nominate the vice-chancellor at the DHU.

"We are with the pupils. The governor is not complying with the state government's gift of a university to the hills. That's the cause of all of this instability, Thapa said.