More than two hundred students of two consecutive batches of 2018-20 and 2019-21 from over two dozen private and government Industrial Training Institutes of the district took out a rally and staged a demonstration in front of Randhir Verma Chowk, protesting over the delay in examinations and late academic sessions.

The protesters who carried out slogan shouting against the state government and Director General of Training for the delay in their examination leading to late sessions depriving them the opportunity to apply for various recruitment exams, took out the rally at around 11.30 am and reached near the Randhir Verma Chowk at around 12 noon where they staged demonstration for more than two hours.

The protesters later also met the magistrate deputed at the district collectorate who assured them to forward their concern with the state government.

Talking to The Telegraph Online on Monday after the demonstration, Saurav Sao, a student of fitter trader of 2018-20 of KK ITI institute at Bekar Bandh in Dhanbad said, “As per the normal schedule our final result after the completion of final year examination should have been completed before August last year but even after the announcement of examination schedule four times earlier our final examination is yet to conducted depriving us of the opportunity to apply for various recruitment exams.”

“Majority of students pursuing the ITI courses in different trades lie fitter, electrician, plumber, carpenter, machinist, turner, welder, draughtsman, wireman belong to the economically and socially deprived section of the society and their parents have invested their hard earned money in hope of their children becoming the source of their family income but due to undue delay in examination many students will not be able to apply for recruitment examination due to crossing the upper age limit for such jobs,” said Sao.

“We have carried out similar protests several times earlier including on February 8 and July 10 this year after which some of the examination of the 2019-2021 batch including the first year examination of 2019-2021 batch were held but the final examination of 2018-2020 batch is still pending depriving us our degree certificate on the basis of which we can apply for the final examination,” said another protester requesting anonymity.

“We can’t understand the reason for the delay in examination at the time when even the schools for the class IX to XII have been opened as per the government orders and even the university exams are taking place under the strict observance of the Covid norms,” said the protester.