In a circular, university registrar R Gunasekaran announced the revised academic calendar for the academic year 2025-26, in which the number of working days was reduced from 90 to 79 “for administrative reasons”.

Puducherry: Pondicherry University has decided to postpone the examinations from 6th May to 21st April and has directed the students to vacate the hostel by 1st May due to shortage of LPG, due to which the students are quite disappointed.In a circular, university registrar R Gunasekaran announced the revised academic calendar for the academic year 2025-26, in which the number of working days was reduced from 90 to 79 “for administrative reasons”. Summer vacations for all undergraduate/postgraduate students will begin from May 1. Deans of schools, heads of departments and heads of centers have been asked to direct students to vacate the hostels by May 1.The Students’ Federation of India, Pondicherry University unit (SFI PU) condemned the university’s arbitrary decision of preponing the examinations and directing students to vacate the hostels. In a statement, the student forum demanded the immediate withdrawal of the university’s decision and reinstatement of the original programme. The statement said the university administration should prioritize the academic well-being of students over administrative convenience and ensure that no student is penalized for circumstances beyond their control.It said that instead of burdening students by shortening the academic calendar, the university should find alternative arrangements to resolve the LPG issue. SFI PU said, “Immediate steps should be taken to ensure uninterrupted functioning of the campus, including sourcing of alternative fuel provisions. Failure to do so will not only disrupt academics but will also seriously impact student attendance, especially those who depend on campus facilities for their daily sustenance.” “While the BJP led NDA government has been denying any LPG crisis and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi It is publicly claimed that there is no shortage of LPG, but the ground reality tells a different story. It is extremely worrying that a central university has taken such extreme steps. This exposes both the ‘administrative failure’ and the ‘hollowness’ of the central government’s claim.