SFI Condemns Pondicherry University's Decision to Advance Examinations, Demands Restoration of Original Schedule

Puducherry: The Students' Federation of India (SFI) has strongly condemned the Pondicherry University (PU) administration's decision to prepone examinations and mandate classes on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, calling it an act of "systemic betrayal" that endangers the academic welfare and mental health of thousands of students.

In a statement, the SFI charged that the administration's circular was an arbitrary measure designed to mask an institutional crisis rather than resolve it. The organisation drew attention to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public assertion that there is no LPG shortage, arguing that the administration's panicked response contradicted official government positions and was inflicting unnecessary stress on the student community.

"Instead of addressing the crisis responsibly, both PU and the central government have chosen to dump the consequences of their mismanagement onto young learners," the SFI stated, describing the move as poor planning and a failure of institutional accountability.

The federation highlighted the acute difficulties faced by students from distant states, who have been left scrambling for transport at short notice amid sharply rising travel costs. The compressed schedule, the SFI argued, effectively displaces students through no fault of their own and reflects a troubling disregard for their logistical and financial realities. "The administration cannot simply displace students because it cannot manage a situation of crisis," the statement read.

Among the most serious grievances raised by the SFI is the complete exclusion of student representatives from the meeting where the rescheduling decision was taken. The student organisation maintained that any policy with such wide-ranging consequences for the student community must be formulated in consultation with elected student bodies, and that bypassing this process undermines both accountability and democratic governance within the institution.

The revised academic calendar has also created a direct conflict with NPTEL examinations scheduled in the second and third weeks of April, placing students in the untenable position of choosing between simultaneous academic obligations.

The SFI further flagged the decision's political implications, noting that several states — including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal — are currently in the midst of elections. The rescheduled timetable, the organisation warned, would prevent a significant number of students from travelling home to exercise their voting rights, amounting to a de facto denial of their constitutional right to vote.

The statement also drew attention to the heightened pressure imposed on master's and final semester students, who must simultaneously complete dissertations and project work while contending with final examinations. The SFI described the compression of the academic schedule as "devastating" for the students, leaving them with inadequate time to fulfil their academic requirements at an already demanding stage of their programs.

The SFI, speaking on behalf of the student council and the broader student community, issued the following demands to the PU administration and the central government:

• Immediate restoration of the original examination and academic schedule

• Full transparency in the management of the ongoing crisis

• Accountability from both the university administration and the central government for the disruption caused

"Students must not be punished for failures that are not theirs," the statement declared. "The well-being of students cannot be sacrificed to cover up administrative incompetence."