In his resignation letter to Principal Dr Sharad Advant, Deshpande says he has resigned to "pursue academic interests".

But, couched in this innocuous statement lies an irony which could take both lecturers and their wards further away from the classroom.

Deshpande, a senior professor, is the first to resign in the state over the issue despite the court's direction to colleges state-wide to take immediate action against lecturers who are on the rolls of private tutorials. Having conducted mathematics tutorials from his residence for several years, Deshpande says he has resigned, not for the monetary rewards ofprivate coaching, but because it is a more rewarding experience.

He told The Indian Express that his "conscience did not permit him to continue with both jobs". "I have read reports of the judges remarks in newspapers and feel that I will not be able to continue as a professor at the college without carrying the burden of guilt," says the professor.

Deshpande's house was "raided" on July 11 by members of the All India Students Federation (AISF) who are protesting against the commercialisation of education. "I had already begun thinking on these lines (resigning) after the court's interim order but wanted to wait till the final judgement was passed. But after the AISF agitation, I decided to hasten my decision," he says.

The professor, who most academicians here say has pursued his vocation with uncommon zeal, says he realised the futility of being publicly criticised for his "dual role" when he has the option of pursuing his interest as a "free bird" by resigning.

Reacting to Deshpande'sresignation, Principal Advant says it is good the professor has been able to decide where he wants to concentrate his energies. "By doing both, he would have done justice to neither. One should have a sense of belonging to the institute or classes if one wants to prove effective," he says.