Twelve students of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Sikkim on Wednesday began an indefinite hunger strike in the academic block of the temporary campus at Rabongla.
The strike is in support of their demand for a permanent campus.
The 12 students on hunger strike have been taking liquid diet like juice and glucose, but no solid food.
800 students of NIT Sikkim have been skipping classes since July 25 to pressurize the Sikkim government and the Centre to identify land for a permanent campus and begin construction at the earliest.
Last week, the Union Human Resources Development Minister, Prakash Javadekar, had assured a high-level Sikkim delegation led by state Human Resources Development Minister RB Subba that an empowered committee of his ministry would be sent to Sikkim to identify suitable land for the campus and provide construction funds expeditiously.
But despite meeting between MHRD, Prakash Javadekar, Director NIT Sikkim, Principal Secretary HRDD Sikkim GP Upadhyaya, Power Minister DD Bhutia and Minister HRDD RB Subba no officials from Sikkim State or Centre met the protesting students had bothered to inform them about the developments who feel they are being manipulated.
The students had earlier demanded a written assurance from both the state government and the Centre on the permanent campus to end their protests.
The NIT, which was set up by an Act of Parliament in 2007, started functioning from a temporary campus at Rabongla, which is at an altitude of about 7,000ft and 120km from Gangtok, in 2010 with 50 students. The current student strength is about 800.