Nearly 400 students of Garden High School-IISER, and their parents, blocked the entrance of the IISER-Calcutta campus in Mohanpur on Tuesday over the alleged inaction of school authorities on CBSE affiliation.
Students and their parents blocked the NH12-Kalyani connector for about an hour and entered the campus for a heated verbal exchange with IISER director Sourav Pal, who accused parents of “manhandling” him.
Haringhata police controlled the situation. The parents continued the protest and accused Pal of being “inhuman”.
IISER director Pal said: “The matter is sub judice. But the parents were apparently forcing me for a resolution right here....They attacked me. I on my part, I have written to the (education) ministry, submitted an affidavit....Now the ministry and CBSE must decide.”
Row over the school’s affiliation started in 2019 when the CBSE rejected its affiliation plea. In 2015, IISER-C chose the Satikanta Guha Foundation (SGF) to set up and manage a school on its campus.
CBSE rejected the affiliation on the grounds that it had no wall and the NOC issued by the IISER-C was not vetted by the ministry. It prompted the SGF to move Calcutta High Court last August. On March 8, the HC directed the ministry to reconsider a provisional affiliation for the school in consultation with CBSE.