Over 160 students who had finished their post-graduation at the Darjeeling Hill University (DHU) in 2023 are confronting a crisis in further pursuing their studies as they have not yet received their final mark sheets and certificates.

The varsity, which the state government set up in December 2021, doesn’t have a vice-chancellor or other officials who are required to run the institution. Because of such a situation, admission has also stopped at the varsity since last year.

Samrakchan Chhetri, who has finished his master’s in English from the DHU, said he was one of the victims who couldn’t apply for a course in higher studies.

“I appeared in the MA final exam in July last year. I don’t have my mark sheet and certificate. Altogether, there are 163 students in my batch who are facing this problem. We only have a printout of the marks which we downloaded after the results,” said Chhetri.

Among them are 37 students from the English department, 31 each from history and maths, two from mass communication, 23 students of Nepali and 39 students from the political science department.

The students also mentioned that along with them, there were around 350 others who were yet to finish their course.

“These students are in equal trouble. For the past six months, no classes, even virtual classes, were held at the varsity. It seems they too, will lose a year like us in further higher studies. We couldn’t even apply for jobs or appear in recruitment exams,” said another student who passed last year.

A teacher based in the hills said some of those who were teaching at the varsity had not received their salaries for around six months.

“There is no administrative official at DHU. Thus, teachers are not getting their salaries and are reluctant to take classes,” he said.

Such an impasse at the varsity has made the Democratic Revolutionary Student Front (DRSF) — a wing of the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM), a breakaway faction of the CPM in the hills — to launch a movement.

They have recently demonstrated on the DHU’s temporary campus that is in the hill town of Mungpoo and sought an appointment with governor C.V. Ananda Bose.

“We want a functional university, qualified faculty members, prompt issuance of proper mark sheets and relevant documents, legal assurance regarding the credibility of their degrees, a proper infrastructure and administration,” said Aryan Rai, the president of DRSF.

Anit Thapa, chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), said the governor had withheld the appointment of the vice-chancellor at the DHU which led to the situation.

“We are with the students. The state government has gifted a university to the hills, but the governor is not cooperating. That is the reason for all this chaos,” said Thapa.