A student has been threatened by varsity authority in Assam for writing a social media post criticising the institution’s delay in declaring undergraduate results.

Priyanka Dutta, a student at Gurucharan College in Silchar town in Assam, gave the undergraduate final examination in June this year. She appeared at the Common University Entrance Test and secured a position to study a Masters course at Cotton University in Guwahati.

However, her parent institution, Assam University, failed to declare the results until today. This has caused Dutta to lose her admission to Cotton University. Depressed by the event, the student took to Facebook and wrote on August 9: “If you have a dream to go for higher studies in good colleges, then do not study in the Assam University. It will ruin your dream. I got a chance to study in Cotton University, however I lost the scope as the Assam University could not declare my degree examination results on time.

She also questioned the regular delay in declaring the results by the Assam University administration. Dutta mentioned in her subsequent post that, except for Assam University, all other universities in the state are able to provide the examination results on time.

This has irked the Controller of Examinations at Assam University, Suprabir Dutta Roy. He sent a letter on August 17 to the Gurucharan College authority to take action against Priyanka Dutta. As the principal of the college, Bibhas Dev, chose not to reply to the letter, Suprabir Dutta Roy sent a second letter to him on August 26.

He wrote there: “This is a gentle reminder that a letter regarding defaming the Assam University in the public by Ms. Priyanka Dutta of your college has been sent to you on August 17. The undersigned is yet to receive its reply from you.”

Mentioning the examination roll number of the student, Dutta Roy further said in the letter that if the college authority does not take any action against the student, her undergraduate examination results will be withheld.

The principal of the college, Dev, said: “We can take action against a student if he or she commits any misconduct on the college premises. For making a Facebook post, the college authority is not competent to take any action against a student. However, we have sent both letters from Dutta Roy to the concerned student.”

Pradosh Kiran Nath, the registrar of Assam University, said: “I am not aware of the letter issued by Mr. Suprabir Dutta Roy. Also, I do not know whether the authority has the power to take any such action against a student for a Facebook post.”

Meanwhile, the students have criticised the Assam University authority. An Akhil Bharatitiya Vidyarthi Parishad student leader, Rohit Chanda, said: “The examination cell of the varsity is not able to announce results on time and is now talking about action against a student for criticizing that. This is undemocratic, and we demand the resignation of Dutta Roy.”