Gangtok: The four students from Geyzing degree college in West Sikkim, who were expelled in February 2021 for protesting against the lack of college infrastructure in under-construction Geyzing Degree College, have now been awarded graduation degree by Sikkim University after the High Court of Sikkim ruled in favour of the students on May 5.
In a judgement passed by the Sikkim HC on May 4, 2023, the Sikkim High Court observed, “As the respondent no.1 (Sikkim University) has withheld the result of the examination of the 4th 5th and 6th semester of the petitioners (4 students) without any decision which would reflect their application of mind, the respondent no.1 is directed to take an informed decision in writing considering the applicable regulations as well as the peculiar situation the petitioners are faced with of not attending the lectures of the 4th semester due to their expulsion which was later on set aside by this court.
Apparently, there was little the petitioners could do or under their control to attend lectures during the period of their expulsion.”
The High Court further observed, “There was little the petitioners could do or under their control to attend lectures during the period of their expulsion. The decision shall be taken on time so as to ensure that there is no impediment to the petitioners in pursuing their further studies, which they desire to do, subject however, to them being successful in the examinations. It is submitted by the learned counsel for the petitioners that for the purpose of further studies they are required to sit for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and the last date prescribed in the portal for enrolling themselves for CUET Post Graduate (P.G.) 2023 is May 5, 2023.”
The Sikkim University issued the undergraduates their much-awaited results and degree on May 5 before midnight.
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Advocate Thupden Yongda, representing the expelled students, expressed gratitude to the High Court. Addressing a press conference on Saturday along with the two expelled students, he said, “We argued that the students were not at fault for missing classes because of the illegal expulsion. We argued that the students be given their degrees.”
Pravin Upreti, one of the expelled students from the College, stated, “We were expelled for 2 years and 3 months. There was precedence before that students cannot go to court but we have challenged that perspective now and won the case. When we were protesting for college infrastructure development and fake assurances from the State government, we were labelled as troublesome students with back papers. We were labelled anti-national, anti-establishment just to justify our expulsion and hide the government’s shortcomings. But we have passed now with 7 to 8 CGP. This is a tight slap against those in power who tried to deem us wrong and expelled us from college.”
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The students said the court judgement was a victory against those in power deeming the four students to be Anti National and Anti Establishment in 2021. Upreti said, “The democratic demands of the people are being criminalized. It has been our right to demand a standard level of education and infrastructure and we fought for the same. Now the government has sanctioned Rs 45 crore for Geyzing College’s development. This has been our demand to secure victory.”
Also Read | Sikkim High Court ‘sets aside’ expulsion orders of 4 Geyzing students