Students protest against NEP

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Students staged a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Friday opposing National Education Policy (NEP), and demanding an increase in the number of hostels and release of pending scholarship amounts. They were particularly upset with bachelor’s degree students having moved on to second year, but their first year results not being disclosed under the new NEP system.

While addressing the protest, Abhaya Diwakar, Bengaluru District President of All India Democratic Youth Organisation (AIDYO), said: “The government is showing a negligent attitude towards the problems faced by degree students.

The first batch of NEP students has already finished their first year examination and has gone to the next year. Still their results are due. This problem has made students unable to apply for scholarships. Hence their results must be announced with no further delay.”

“Also, delay in scholarships has created anxiety among students. Thousands of students from poor families depend on scholarships to fund their higher education. If no scholarship is available, it is difficult for most of them to complete their higher education.

On one hand, the government is taking away the right to scholarship, on the other hand, it is increasing the educational feese very year, ” she added.“The fee of degree course has already been hiked three times in government degree colleges. The government must immediately release the full scholarship amount for all students.

Further, there is no hostel in the state to cater to the number of degree students. Hostel is a basic requirement for students. The number of hostels should be increased in proportion to the number of degree students in the state and enrollment should be increased,” Diwakar said. The protest meeting was presided over by AIDSO District Secretary Kalyan Kumar.