13 Mar. Ides of March are gone. So also the problems created by the ABVP and some disgruntled elements.

After the unnecessary and communal tensions created by the student wing of the sangh parivar, it was left to the Education Department of the State (Mangalore district authorities) to settle the issue.

This morning began with hordes of police in the campus. Though every SSLC and PUC exam hall is a \’prohibited area\’ for public movement, the police allowed the ABVP gang to enter the campus!  While a big number waited outside the gate, six of them entered the campus with the parents of students!

Deputy Director for Pre University Education (DDPUE) was there to check the records. He was abusive and very rude to Prof. John D\’Silva, the principal.First he occupied the principal’s chair, without the Principal’s permission.

In the meantime, many Jesuits were also present in the PUC.

The DDPUE ordered the Principal and gave away four hall tickets to students to sit the exams. Then began his scrutiny. When every record was checked and every question was answered to the satisfaction (utter amazement) of the government official, they could not find fault anymore – that is inspite of all their zeal to nail the College. Some students had attendance in some subjects whereas in others they did not. DDPUE ordered that they be given considering the overall average. He found fault with the management. But Fr Francis Serrao SJ (Rector) contested that arguement – he said the College has been observing the Government\’s policies, not its own! He showed the rules which state that EACH of the subjects should have 75% attendance, and NOT average! The officials had no voice to shout anymore!

Then the police  asked the principal to collect the four hall tickets issued by the DDPUE, to which the Management said, they were issued by the DDPUE, and only DDPUE should take them back, else they and the media (which was present there)  would spin another yarn! So the police collected the \”hurriedly\” issued four hall tickets.!

When they could not find any fault, and all their efforts failed to portray the St aloysius PUC in bad light, they had to accept that is was a worng move,  the DDPUE said, the College has done everything correctly, all the records are perfect, and no grouse of the students will be entertained! All lincluding the abvp intruders returned disappointed. Quietly, he told those parents that he tried his best to give hall tickets, but the College records are impeccable! The saffron brigade did not succeed in nailing the College!

Exams are going on as usual and smoothly.