Five students were detained near the VMC office after they had submitted a memorandum to the Mayor for alleged rowdyism.

While both Kane and Vyas promised to forward the students' representations to the government, the vice-chancellor is reported to have assured the delegation that if the admissions procedure could be completed by November 9, the university would ensure the students did not lose a semester.

Talking to Express Newsline, a parent, J K Pandya said, ``As it is, the students have been sitting idle for the past few months. If admissions do not start by the beginning of November, this may well be declared a zero year''.

Echoing his views, another parent, Jyoti Vyas, said, ``We have stayed away from work for the past two days to highlight the justice of the students' demands''.

Vyas said that though her son had secured 85 per cent in the HSC and was certain to get a professional degree seat, he could not aspire to a Science faculty seat now.