PUDUCHERRY: Pondicherry University has decided to prepone the examinations from May 6 to April 21 and has directed the students to vacate the hostels by May 1 due to a shortage of LPG, much to the chagrin of the students.In a circular, University registrar R Gunasekaran announced the revised academic calendar for the academic year 2025-26, reducing the number of working days to 79 from 90 “due to administrative reasons.” The summer vacation for all undergraduate/ postgraduate students will commence on May 1. The deans of schools, heads of departments and centres were told to direct the students to vacate the hostel by May 1.The Students Federation of India, Pondicherry University unit (SFI PU), condemned the arbitrary decision of the university to prepone the examinations and to direct the students to vacate the hostel. In a statement, the students’ forum demanded immediate withdrawal of the university’s decision and restoration of the original schedule. The university administration should prioritise students’ academic well-being over administrative convenience and ensure that no student is penalised for circumstances beyond their control, said the statement.It said instead of shifting the burden on to students by compressing the academic calendar, the university should explore alternative arrangements to address the LPG issue. “Immediate steps should be taken to ensure uninterrupted campus functioning, including sourcing alternative fuel provisions. Failure to do so will not only disrupt academics but also severely impact student attendance, particularly for those who rely on campus facilities for their daily sustenance, said SFI PU. “While the BJP-led NDA govt continues to deny any LPG crisis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly claims that there is no shortage of LPG, the reality on the ground tells a different story. It is deeply alarming that a central university has resorted to such extreme measures. It exposes both ‘administrative failure’ and the ‘hollowness’ of the Union govt’s claim,” it said.
