Students of Regional Institute of Education (RIE) Mysore, who have launched an agitation demanding University Grants Commission (UGC) recognition for their courses, on Tuesday launched a hunger strike.
The students, who had been boycotting classes since last Thursday after reviving their agitation, launched a hunger strike in the institution premises on Tuesday to press for their demands.
The students are on a war-path with the RIE authorities in Mysuru over the delay in securing UGC recognition for six-year MSc.Ed and four year BSc Ed and BA Ed courses.
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More than seven hundred students had taken up these courses in RIE, Mysuru, a premier NCERT institute offering teacher education programmes.
Though the six-year MSc Ed course was started about seven years ago and the first batch of students passed out in 2014, no concrete action has been taken to secure UGC recognition. “The future of more than 700 students is at stake,” a student said adding that they are neither eligible for pursuing Ph.D. under UGC norms nor entitled to government jobs due to the lack of recognition.
The students had launched their protest on January 6 after which the Joint Director of NCERT, in a tele-conference, assured to look into the matter. With no progress in the matter, the students resumed their agitation last Thursday, but intensified it on Tuesday by launching a hunger strike.
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