People's Democracy

THE Students’ Federation of India held a Pre-Budget March to Parliament on February 26 on the following demands: 

•  Spend 6 percent of the GDP on Education.

• Fulfill the promises made in the CMP.

• Implement Sachar Committee Recommendations by formulating a sub-plan for minorities on the lines of the Special Component Plan and the Tribal Sub-Plan, allocating 15 percent of total resources for employment generation, poverty alleviation and other development programmes for minorities, especially Muslims.

• Provide 20,000 Maulana Azad Merit-cum-Means Scholarships announced by the finance minister for the minorities during the last Budget without delay.

Students from Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Haryana participated in the march from Mandi House to Parliament Street. The students carried colorful placards describing the dismal state of education in the country and the sorry state of expenditure by the central government. Students also carried placards describing the sorry state of Muslims in the education sector as revealed by the Sachar Committee Report. The demands were based on the following figures and facts:

This march was part of the All India call of the SFI Central Executive Committee to observe protests all over India on February 22 demanding an expenditure of 6 percent of the GDP on education.