Students, research scholars and faculty members of Andhra University decried the commercialisation of education, neglect of sports and regional languages among other things at the AICC Manifesto Committee meeting on education, organised by the Congress here on Monday.
In his introductory remarks, Rajya Sabha former member Bhalachandra Mungekar said AICC president Rahul Gandhi wanted a people’s manifesto, unlike in the past, when the party manifesto used to be prepared in New Delhi by a few political leaders.
The suggestions of the people from all States would be taken into consideration while preparing the party’s manifesto for the 2019 general elections. “Public opinion will be elicited on 41 different topics such as education, agriculture, industry, trade and security among others. There will be 23 main groups, headed by senior party leaders. Suggestions on finance sector will be considered by a team headed by the former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram while I will head the education team,” Mr. Mungekar said.
Mid-day meal scheme
He recalled that it was the Congress-led UPA government which had introduced the Right To Education (RTE) and mid-day meal scheme, establishing universities and institutes of higher education. “The first commitment, if the party is voted to power, is provision of free higher and technical education to the deserving and eligible students,” he said.
N. Chandrasekhar, a lecturer of Government Polytechnic, Visakhapatnam, said it was unfortunate that the Centre was trying to segregate polytechnic from higher education. Students of HRM suggested improvement of quality of teachers in government institutions, measures to improve employability skills of engineering students and provision for reservation to students who come from rural areas.
Rajiv Vidya Mission
Some faculty members suggested strengthening of the Rajiv Vidya Mission by allocating more funds and giving importance to regional languages. Establishment of sports complexes in every district and regularisation of the services of around 1,600 contract Assistant Professors, who were working in various universities, without regularisation for the past 16 years. They alleged that the rule of equal pay for equal work was not being implemented in their case.
AP Congress Committee N. Raghuveera Reddy, former Minister Vatti Vasanta Kumar and AU Teachers Association president John were among those who spoke on the occasion.
