People's Democracy

SFI All India Conference In Hyderabad

THE 12th All India Conference of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) will be held on November 17-21, 2005 in Hyderabad. The venue of the conference will be named after veteran freedom fighter, leader of the Telangana Armed Struggle and a doyen of the Left movement in the country, Comrade P Sundaraiah. The dais will be christened as Comrade Kanak Mukherjee Manch. She was the first convenor of the girl students’ committee of the organised student movement formed in 1938 and a freedom fighter who had passed away recently. She was also a prominent leader of the women’s movement and the Left.

This was decided by the central executive committee of the Students’ Federation of India at its meeting on October 18-19, 2005 in New Delhi. About 1000 delegates and observers from all over the country, representing a membership of about 35 lakhs will take part in the conference. The conference would discuss and debate all the changes that are taking place in the education sector and chart its future course of action. The recent judgements of the Supreme Court on the unaided institutions, democratic rights and student union elections, Right to Education Bill, National Curriculum Framework 2005 and all other aspects will be the important issues that will engage the delegates in the discussions, stated the SFI in a press release.

On November 17, a huge student rally will be organised in which more than 1,00,000 students are expected to take part.  Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, one of the founder members of the SFI and the present chief minister of West Bengal will inaugurate the student rally. Sitaram Yechury former president of SFI and B V Raghavulu former state president of the organisation in Andhra Pradesh will address the rally along with the present leaders of the organisation.

Jyoti Basu, former chief minister of West Bengal will inaugurate the conference on November 18, subject to his health condition at that point of time.  Renowned academician and veteran of Telangana Armed Struggle, C Ramaiah, who is the chairman of the reception committee, will deliver the welcome address.

A special session commemorating the 35th anniversary of the formation of SFI would be organised on November 19 in which Biman Bose, the founder general secretary, Prakash Karat former president, Sitaram Yechuri former president and  Nilotpal Basu, former general secreatary will take part along with all the former general secretaries and presidents of the organisation.

ON DEEMED UNIVERSITIES MEETING

The SFI CEC termed it as unfortunate that the HRD ministry is organising a meeting with all the VCs of the deemed universities to discuss the issue of off-campus centres being set up by many of them. The UGC Act clearly states that no deemed university can start off-campus centre without obtaining prior permission from the state government and the UGC. However, many deemed universities openly violate this. The SFI demanded the government to immediately take steps to derecognise these off-campus centres and take steps to protect the students who are cheated in joining these institutes.  (INN)