NSUI protests against Education Ministry over fellowship cuts, recruitment scams

The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) protested against the Ministry of Education at Shastri Bhawan today. The NSUI national president was arrested, along with hundreds of NSUI activists, according to an official statement.

The students’ union protested against the “organised attacks” on student rights, allegedly carried out under the central government. As per the union, the 40% cut and delays in post-matric and pre-matric scholarships have affected students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and minority sects.

The sudden termination of the Maulana Azad National Fellowship has led to the deprivation of “thousands” of minority students from higher education and research. The government’s National Overseas Fellowships have been delayed, making foreign education inaccessible to disadvantaged students.

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NSUI protests: Fellowship stipend

The students are also protesting against the National Eligibility Test (NET) Fellowship stipend amount being stagnant at Rs 8,000 since the year 2006. The NSUI is demanding that it be made equal to the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) amount, in the light of rising inflation and the cost of living.

The “constant” irregularities and scams in the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recruitment processes have also been cited. Blacklisted companies being tendered for these exams have eroded the credibility of these organisations, said the statement.

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“This government has waged war against education. From stopping fellowships to rigging in recruitment examinations, it is excluding students from the deprived class in a planned manner. These people want to run an education system with the ideology of Manusmriti, but we will keep the Constitution high,” Chaudhary said, while speaking to the protestors. “When students are raising their voice for their rights, this government responds with silence and police action,” he added.

Chaudhary reiterated that the NSUI will continue this struggle across the country until student rights are restored.