SFI holds 'Students of India Rally' at DU North campus, raises education demands

New Delhi: Students from several universities on Tuesday participated in a rally organised by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) in Delhi University's North Campus as part of its 'Azadi Week' celebrations. The 'Students of India Rally' was attended by students from Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Ambedkar University Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia and several schools in the National Capital, the SFI said in a statement.

The rally was addressed by Lok Sabha MP Amra Ram, who called for a united struggle of students, workers and farmers against what he described as a "divisive" agenda. The rally commemorated the martyrdom day of freedom fighter Khudiram Bose, the anniversary of the organised students' movement, the birth centenary of Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro and India's Independence Day, the SFI said.

The students raised demands including scrapping the National Testing Agency (NTA), rollback of fee hikes, withdrawal of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, concessional metro passes for students, hostel facilities for all and voting rights for all DU students in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections.

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SFI Delhi State Committee member Sakhi alleged that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 had failed in universities such as DU, citing an increase in dropouts following the implementation of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) and insufficient seats in the newly introduced one-year MA programme. "Students must unite and put forward a progressive education system and defeat the money-muscle politics that dominates university elections," DU student Agrima said.

The rally was held days after the conclusion of the 20th SFI Delhi State Conference, which resolved to intensify the organisation's campaign against the "privatisation, centralisation and communalisation" of education, the statement said. SFI Delhi said it would reach out to students across the national capital, including those studying in private institutions and coaching centres, to advocate an alternative agenda for an inclusive and equitable education system.