AISA continues protest against autonomy grant
The All India Students’ Association (AISA) on Monday staged a protest outside St. Stephen’s College against the University Grants Commission’s proposal to grant autonomy to the college. “Despite protests by students and teachers, the UGC has decided to grant autonomous status to the college.... There are reports that the UGC committee will be visiting on May 24 to finalise it. The autonomy will lead to massive fee hikes, thus closing doors of India’s higher education for the socially and economically deprived sections of the society,” said Madhurima Kundu, secretary of AISA’s DU wing. Staff Reporter
Massive fee hike
“Withdrawal of government funding, massive fee hike and scuttling of reservation policies are a part and parcel of granting the autonomy. There will be no academic autonomy or autonomy to teachers to design their syllabus. There will be autonomy only to increase the fees of students” added Ms. Kundu.
“With the 30-70 funding formula already implemented, fee hike will be the norm from this year. The struggle against the farce of autonomy is not just to save a few colleges but to save higher education of the country” the AISA said in a statement.
