In New Delhi, seven student groups from different parts of India are getting together to protest at Jantar Mantar, a famous place in Delhi, on March 24. They will protest under the name ‘India Alliance Student Organisations.’ These students want to address important issues affecting them, like exam paper leaks, the need for university elections, and the removal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The groups involved are the National Students Union of India (NSUI), All India Students Association (AISA), Students Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Federation (AISF), Muslim Students Federation (MSF), Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, and Chhatra Rashtriya Janata Dal (CRJD). Starting from March 17 to March 22, they will hold protests and press conferences across the country to raise awareness for their cause leading up to the big protest on March 24.
The Union education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, responded to their concerns, explaining that new rules from the University Grants Commission (UGC) would give universities more power to hire their teachers and help develop state universities. However, some leaders from the opposition say these new rules take away important powers from the state governments regarding the hiring of university leaders.
The student groups say they will invite teachers, education experts, political leaders from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), and students from all over the country to join them. They hope to attract attention to educational issues during the government’s budget discussions.
NSUI national president Varun Choudhary said, “We invite all student organisations, teachers, and education experts to join us on March 24. We expect around 5,000 students to participate. We want the NEP 2020 and the new UGC rules to be taken back. We also want fair student elections at all universities and colleges, filling of reserved seats, and support for scholarships.”
The NEP 2020 was started by the Indian government on July 29, 2020, to improve the country’s education system and make it more relevant to future needs while keeping Indian culture in mind. This new policy replaced an older one from 1986 and suggested significant changes in how education is organized from schools to universities.
The new rules about hiring teachers, shared on January 6, state that a special committee will help choose vice-chancellors at universities. This committee will include a governor’s representative as the chair and two others chosen by the UGC and the university board.
Meanwhile, students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) are also protesting because their student union elections have been delayed. At Delhi University (DU), students will elect leaders from their colleges to form a team for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU).
Aishe Ghosh, the SFI Delhi state secretary, said, “The central government wants to control student elections like they do with elections in states and at the national level.”
