People's Democracy

         Implement CMP Commitments: SFI

THE Student’s Federation of India (SFI) while welcoming the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) announced by the new United Progressive Alliance (UPA) central government hoped that it will live up to all the promises and commitments made by it in the CMP. The SFI asked the government to interact with all the parties concerned with the education sector and take the necessary measures.

The central executive committee of the SFI in a statement issued on May 28 demanded the government to withdraw the Vedic Astrology and Karam Kanda courses introduced in the universities and colleges by the previous BJP-led government. "All the obnoxious and irrational courses introduced by the previous government have to be withdrawn immediately from the syllabus and the entire education system thoroughly cleansed. The National Curriculum Framework for Secondary Education (NCFSE), pushed through by the NCERT without pursuing the democratic process, too has to be revised suitably", it stated.

The SFI also welcomed the assurance of the new government on providing discrimination free education even in professional institutes. Due to the commercialisation of education vigorously pursued by the earlier BJP-led government, many private unaided institutes of higher education have cropped up, felt the SFI. The Supreme Court in the TMA Pai versus State of Karnataka case had upheld these institutes money fleecing activity The SFI felt that this scenario has to be reserved if the current government is really serious and wants to honour its commitment. It wanted the new government to take immediate steps to legislate in the Parliament to empower the states to regulate the private self-financing institutes.

The SFI urged upon the government to act quickly in all the matters regarding education, especially since the new academic session was about to commence shortly. The SFI has decided to meet the concerned authorities and appraise them in detail about the changes that have to be taken to correct the anomalies that have crept in the education sector due to the misrule of the earlier government. It expressed hope the government would respond positively and quickly. (INN)