Protesting against the proposed online examination for ITI trainers, fee hike and imposition of GST on examination fee, scores of students from Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) took out a protest march in Dharwad on Friday.
ITI students began the protest march from Kadapa Maidan before the Kalabhavan and marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s office under the aegis of All India Democratic Youth Organisation (AIDYO).
On the Deputy Commissioner’s office premises, the protesting students staged a demonstration.
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Addressing the protestors, Dharwad district AIDYO president Bhavanishankar S. Gouda said that the proposed move had created confusion among lakhs of students of ITI and the trainers.
He said that at a time when the results of 2019 examinations were yet to be declared, students were being burdened with the imposition of GST on examination fees which was highly condemnable.
Mr. Bhavanishankar said that the students of ITI were finding it difficult to pay fees and now GST has been imposed on it, while Director-General of Training (DGET) had proposed online examination for ITI trainers.
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He said that under ITI trades, focus was more on practical skills, and evaluation of practical skills through online examination would be absurd. Since the proposed move was not right, it should be shelved immediately in the interest of ITI students.
AIDYO district secretary Hanumesh Huded said that none of the ITIs, particularly the government ones, had made preparations for holding online examinations. “The preparedness of private ITIs is even worse. Such being the situation, holding online examination will be wrong. First, the proposed move should be withdrawn and fee hike should be rolled back,” he said. On the occasion, the protesting students also submitted a memorandum addressed to the Director General of Training (DGET) to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. AIDYO district vice-president Kotresh Hubballi, Sharanabasava Patil, Shoyab, Sudha, Basavaraj and others led the protest.