B.Pharm final-year students at the Institute of Pharmacy here locked up the principal and some other faculty members for around 36 hours since Monday morning, demanding that their exams be cancelled and marks be calculated on the basis of previous scores as two of their batch mates were showing suspected symptoms of Covid-19.

The final batch of the four-year course has 62 students who didn’t appear for exam on Tuesday.

The final-year exams are slated to be held from Tuesday till September 5 by the West Bengal University of Health Sciences. “One of our batch mates is showing symptoms of Covid-19. If we sit for the exams, there is always a risk of some of us getting infected,” said a final-year student.

The agitators locked up the principal, Sourav Singha Roy, and some other teachers in their respective rooms on Monday morning when the institute informed that the exams would be held according to the university’s schedule.

The protests continued till Tuesday afternoon when the principal fell ill. Two agitating students also fell sick. Doctors and paramedics from the district hospital reached the college and examined them.

An official of the Jalpaiguri district administration held a meeting with the faculty members and the students, after which the agitation was lifted.

“The varsity authorities have been informed that the exams could not be held in the current situation. We will wait for further instructions from the varsity,” said Singha Roy.