The All India Students’ Association (AISA) held a public meeting at Delhi University’s Faculty of Arts on Wednesday.
Copy of UGC notification burnt
Titled ‘A University of Ambedkar’s Dream: Against the Policies of Exclusion from Higher Education’, the meeting saw students burning a copy of the UGC’s Gazette Notification of 2016 and a notification for the scheme of autonomous colleges at Delhi University. The protesters also extended support to the students of Panjab University, who have been charged with sedition for protesting against the massive fee hike.
Speakers discuss govt policies
The event, which attempted to review the state of university education in the country in the light of Ambedkar’s vision of education, also saw speakers explaining the policies that were resulting in seat cuts in research institutions and creation of autonomous colleges.
Nandita Narain, president of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association, spoke about autonomy for colleges and explained that it was synonymous with fee hike.
‘Autonomy will kill Arts courses’
Autonomy would ultimately kill the Arts and Humanities courses, directing students towards skill-based courses, said Ms. Narain.
Upset with seat cuts
President of AISA’s DU unit Kawalpreet Kaur told students that “while Ambedkar saw the university as an inclusive space, the government was coming up with policies which were exclusive in nature and aimed at making the university a bastion of elites.
Earlier, the AISA had campaigned in over 25 colleges against the issue of seat cuts in research institutions and the scheme of autonomous colleges.
