Some student groups Wednesday staged separate protests against the higher education department here to increase undergraduate seats in all the constituent colleges of Cluster University Jammu.

Protesters including activists of the National Student Union of India (NSUI) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) took to streets at different places and later dispersed off peacefully.

A group of protesting students came out of Government College for Women at Gandhi Nagar in the city and tried to block the main road in support of their demand for increasing the intake capacity and infrastructure improvement in all the constituent colleges, the officials said.

However, they said the protesters were persuaded and driven back into the college premises by a strong posse of policemen who were rushed to maintain law and order.

We are holding a protest to highlight the grievances of the students who were denied admission in the general category by the cluster university despite having secured above 80-90 per cent marks in the previous class, a protesting student said.

He said the Cluster University should immediately raise admission seats as was done by the Jammu University so that more students can get admission.

Separately, students affiliated with NSUI assembled outside the press club here and burnt an effigy of the BJP to protest the denial of admission to the students by the Cluster University.

The Cluster University of Jammu is playing with the future of the students who despite securing above 85 percent marks in the class 12 examination are not getting admission in the colleges, said Sunny Parihar who was leading the protest.

Students affiliated with the ABVP also took to the streets at different places and staged peaceful protests in support of the aggrieved students and sought their admission.

The protesters threatened to intensify the agitation if the government failed to enhance admission seats in all colleges affiliated with the Cluster University.

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