Student moves court over American College issue

by Mohamed Imranullah S.| The Hindu, 25 MAR 2011.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article1568361.ece

A writ petition has been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here seeking a direction to the State government to take appropriate steps for peaceful functioning of the American College here through the intervention of a high-level committee constituted by the government on February 18 comprising Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Higher Education Secretary.

Justice K. Venkataraman on Thursday directed government advocate P. Thilak Kumar to take notice and adjourned the matter to Monday. E. Princy Sandralo, a third-year B.Sc. (Physics) student of the college, had filed the case alleging that the high-level committee did not take any steps, ever since its constitution, to solve the unrest in the educational institution.

The petitioner said that the college was established in 1881. Nearly 3,700 students, including 600 residing in the hostel, were studying in the college. It had 94 teaching and 44 non-teaching staff in the government-aided stream, and 97 teaching and 40 non-teaching staff in the unaided stream. The institution was administered by a Governing Council.

“Several untoward incidents continuously occurred inside the college campus regarding its administration and it materially affected the smooth functioning and peaceful atmosphere of the college. The studies of the students and other academic functions are put to a grinding halt in view of the above situation. The students, parents and staff are put to untold hardship in view of the unrest,” the petitioner added.