The Federation of Student Organisations, Karnataka released the ‘Student-Youth Manifesto:Bengaluru Lok Sabha Elections 2024’At a press meet held at Press Club of Bengaluru on 30th March, 2024 at the Press Club of Bangalore.
During the event, SIO State President -Zeeshan Aaqil Siddique, Dalita Vidyarthi Parishad State President – Srinath Pujari, KVS State President – Sarovar Benkikere, Aratrika – All India Students’ Association, Secretary of Ambedkar Students’ Association of Agricultural University – Venkatesh, Pavan – Bengaluru Snatakkottara mattu Samshodhana Vidyarthigala Okkuta, Secretariat Member of All India Forum for Right To Education – Shashank and Manifesto Co-Ordinator Mohammed Peer Latageri alongside other student leaders were present.
Addressing the press conference, the student leaders alerted the political parties to not take for granted the students and youth of this country who are keeping a close-eye on all the political happenings. They highlighted how all major political parties seem to have suddenly awakened as they try to woo voters in their favour after a deep-slumber where they failed to address people’s issues. Even so, they stated that the students and youth had hoped that the elections would be fought on people’s issues. However, in the run-up to the elections, all the political parties seem to have come to a mutual pact of fighting this election on non-issues; driven mainly by the distribution of money and alcohol alongside spreading hatred in the name of caste and religion which necessitated an immediate intervention by the youth.
Through their Students-Youth manifesto, the organisations have put forth demands pertaining to twin issues that have deep impacts on by the youth community – education and employment. They opined that addressing these twin demands holds the key to build India as a welfare state, a value enshrined the constitution under Article 45 and Article 16 that provide for Right To Education alongside Right to Equal Opportunity for all citizens in matters of employment.
Their key demands include:
Demands pertaining to Education:
Ensure effective implementation of the Right to Education Act with immediate effect
Shift back the subject of education to the state list
Spend atleast 6% of GDP on education as per recommendations of the Kothari Commisision. The government must shed its unwillingness to fund education.
Ensure effective implementation of Reservations provided for SC, ST, OBC, Persons with Disability and Transgender community students. Extend the provision of reservation to even Private unaided institutions
Stop contractualization of teaching and non-teaching posts and their deployment for non-academic tasks and propagandas.
The Right to Education Act must be extended to include higher education and early childhood care and education (ECCE).
All attempts to close down, merge and/or ‘rationalize’ government schools and anganwadis must be stopped immediately.
Eradicate malnutrition by implementing breakfast scheme in addition to the now existing mid-day meal schemes. Additionally, eggs must also be provided every day to students up to class 10 right from Anganwadi.
To safeguard the interests of children and parents in private schools, colleges and universities and to make them accountable to the masses, formulate and enforce strict comprehensive laws including fee regulation, minimum standards and norms for quality education.
Provide in every district adequate number of hostels for Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs and Minorities, with proper facilities and services.
Withdraw FYUP, CUET, NEET and JEE and other centralised admission tests
All attempts to distort history and introduce obscurantist courses must immediately be halted.
Enact Rohit Act to eradicate institutional discrimination. Alongside, Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassments (GS-CASH) and SC/ST and Minority committees/cells with quasi-judicial powers must be established to address sexual harassment in higher educational institutions.
Restore campus democracy, academic autonomy, and freedom of expression. Ensure that students’ unions are recognised by all universities and colleges. Democratic processes and elections must guide the functioning of students’ unions in every college and university.
Establish all future public higher education institutions in socio-economically and educationally backward districts.
Establish at least one government medical college and hospital in each district of the country.
Demands pertaining to Employment:
The government to allocate necessary funds for MGNERGA, estimated to be 2.5 Lakh crore, and ensure its effective implementation. In addition to the same, a job scheme for Urban Poor, similar to that of MGNREGA must be instituted. The allocations for this scheme should be in-line with the estimate of costs – Rs. 3.2 Lakh crore.
Increase social sector spending to at least 30% of the budget enabling the creation of more government jobs.
Fill up all vacant posts in the government machinery immediately.
Scrap the new labour codes and restore sectoral laws
Formulate a comprehensive Law that upholds the rights of informal workers extending Core Labour Standards to all segments of workers including the wage labourers, the self-employed, the migrant workers and platform workers.
The government must immediately withdraw all proposals to privatize public sector enterprises which are the last vestiges of jobs with security.
The student leaders also shared that they will take the manifesto amidst the youth of the state and urge them to vote only for political parties and candidates that address their demands.
Signatories to Manifesto
Dalita Vidyarthi Parishad – DVP
Karnataka Vidyarthi Sanghatane – KVS
Students’ Islamic Organisation – SIO
All India Students’ Association – AISA
Ambedkar Students’ Association – ASA Agri,
Bengaluru Snatakkottara mattu Samshodhana Vidyarthigala Okkuta – BU
Students’ Christian Movment of India – SCMI
Students For People’s Democracy – SFPD
All India Forum for Right To Education – AIFRTE) were present at press meet.
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