While a PTTI students’ union backed by the Chhatra Parishad had called off its strike on January 3, another student group withdrew its protest on Sunday.

Even as the government has been assuring the students that efforts are being made to solve the impasse, the Centre has ruled out any possibility of relaxation in norms or coming up with an ordinance in this regard. In the January 3 meeting between the Union Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukerjee and PTTI students’ representatives, the students were told that the problem cannot be resolved immediately.

“The minister told us that the National Council for Teacher Education will not change its rules for state governments,” said a student representative who had attended the meeting.

They were also given a hint that now the state government cannot take any decision alone to resolve the crisis, therefore, the hungerstrike would hardly have any effect on the government.

In fact, there is a solution in sight for students, who have secured 50 per cent marks in higher secondary.

They could be brought under the existing norms of the NCTE which demands a minimum of 50 per cent for applicants wanting to enroll in a teachers’ training diploma programme of two years.