SFI CALL TO OBSERVE 9TH AUGUST 2005 AS

‘Foreign Education Providers Quit India’ Day

THE Students' Federation of India (SFI) has decided to observe 9th August, 2005 as 'Foreign Education Providers Quit India’ Day. This decision has been taken in view of union government’s decision to permit foreign educational institutes to start their branches/franchises in our country. This would be part of the campaign to safeguard the country’s self-reliance.

Announcing this at a press conference in Delhi, SFI president K K Ragesh and general secretary Kallol Roy called upon student community of the country to join this fight against the direct attack on the intellectual self-reliance of our country in big numbers.

They stated that a phased  agitation programme was on the anvil reaching its peak next month.

In the conference of state higher education ministers convened this year in Bangalore, the government put forward the supposed lack of public funding as an excuse for opening up the higher education sector for private and foreign players, thus in effect carrying forward the vision that the NDA government had placed in the Birla-Ambani report and the UGC's Model Act for universities. The Congress regime in 1995 had introduced the Private Universities Bill, which would have allowed any non-profit society or corporate entity to set up a university in our country. This would have resulted not only in reckless profiteering by commercial universities but would also have given an opportunity to communal and sectarian organisations to intervene in the university system in a direct manner. While the bill could not be passed at that time because of popular opposition, the present government, in the Bangalore conference, has claimed that the bill was basically sound. Expressing apprehension that the bill is likely to be reintroduced in Parliament with only cosmetic changes, the SFI reiterated that it would oppose tooth and nail this move of the government. It demanded that appropriate steps be taken, including the strengthening UGC regulation, in order to ensure that no private university is set up through any backdoor.

THREAT FROM MNCs

The SFI leaders elaborated on the serious threat from multinational corporations eyeing the huge higher education sector in our country. With foreign direct investment in the education sector already being allowed under the automatic route in our country, any educational MNC can set up shop in India if it is willing to limit its activities to those like granting professional diplomas or collaborating with Indian institutions, which do not require approval from the UGC or AlCTE. Opening up of the education sector under GATS is a major threat that needs to be stringently opposed by all democratic-minded sections.

They pointed out that SFI in its recently concluded All India University Students' Workshop decided to organise seminars, conventions and mobilise popular opinion against these moves of the government and prepare the students for future struggles.

ALL INDIA CONFERENCE

It was also announced that the 12th all India conference of the SFI will be held in Hyderabad from November 17-21, 2005. This is the first time that the all India conference of SFI is being organised in Hyderabad. The conference is organised at a crucial juncture where many changes are taking place in the education sector. The conference would be discussing all the issues concerning the future of students, education sector and the society at large. On the basis of the conclusions arrived from the discussions, a future course of action will also be chalked out. A reception committee with eminent educationist C Ramaiah as the chairperson was formed recently in Hyderabad. Educationists, intellectuals, prominent personalities from all walks of life are in the committee and have promised all help for the successful organisation of the conference. (INN)