Students of St. Agnes College stage snap stir opposing holding UG examinations during Dasara time

A section of students, mainly girls, of St. Agnes College, an autonomous institution under Mangalore University, staged a snap protest in front of the college on Monday (October 12), in opposition to it holding odd-semester undergraduate examinations during Dasara.

They boycotted the examinations which started Monday and demanded postponement. The protesting students were supported by the ABVP, and said that the college has scheduled the examinations till October 28.

The students maintained that they had appealed to the college to reschedule the examinations, but the college did not consider this.

They questioned the college for holding the examinations during Dasara while declaring a holiday during Christmas.

The girls waylaid a police vehicle when the police took into custody some ABVP activists, mainly boys. They continued their protest even after police shifted some ABVP activists from the spot.

College Registrar and Controller of Examinations Shubharekha arrived at the protest spot and announced that the semester examinations, scheduled for October 19 and 22, would be postponed. She said that rescheduling the examinations would be difficult because of internships and a 10-day National Service Scheme (NSS) camp of the college, scheduled to begin on November 2. She said that the college did not receive any objections from students to the timetable of examinations during the time given to file objections.

The students withdrew the protest later.

College clarifies

Meanwhile, college principal M. Venissa said in a statement that the draft examination timetable was circulated to all students on September 11, 2026, providing them with 15 days to raise objections, seek clarifications, or suggest necessary changes. Subsequently, the final timetable was published on September 26, 2026, as no objections or requests for change of dates had been received from the students. The examination schedule was also prepared with due consideration for the academic commitments of students undertaking internships and projects already planned as part of their curriculum.

“The examinations were scheduled in accordance with the approved academic calendar, ensuring that no examinations were scheduled on gazetted public holidays,” she said.

“After considering the concerns expressed by the students and in the larger interest of maintaining a harmonious academic environment, the college administration has decided to reschedule the examinations originally scheduled for October 19 and 22. The revised dates will be communicated to the students through official channels,” the statement said.

The principal said that although the protest involved only a limited section of students, the college has responded to their concerns in a spirit of dialogue, understanding, and goodwill. This decision reflects the institution’s commitment to addressing genuine student concerns while safeguarding academic interests and maintaining institutional stability.

“The college makes it clear that any further incidents of indiscipline, obstruction of academic activities, or disturbance of campus peace will be viewed seriously and dealt with in accordance with the applicable institutional regulations,” she said.