Young India referendum: AISA gathers student opinions in K'taka ahead of 2024 elections

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The All India Students’ Association (AISA) conducted the 'Young India Referendum' across prominent educational institutions in Karnataka, including Bengaluru University (Jnanabharati), Bengaluru City University (Central College campus), Mount Carmel College, Montfort College, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Azim Premji University, Manipal University, Koppal University, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, and other studentcentric areas in the city.

The nationwide initiative was aimed to gauge the sentiments of students and youth ahead of the 2024 general elections.

The referendum stemmed from an extensive all-India signature campaign where students and job-seekers posed ten questions to the Central Government, addressing concerns such as the decline of publicfunded higher education, the assault on democratic spaces, suppression of dissenting voices, educational inaccessibility, and the lack of dignified employment.

In Karnataka, students participated in the referendum, expressing their concerns about escalating annual fees jeopardising their educational pursuits.

Many final-year students voiced their apprehensions about the challenging job market.

The three key questions posed were related to the fairness of yearly fee hikes, the provision of adequate hostels and scholarships by the Union Government, and the fulfilment of the promise to generate 2 crore jobs annually.

The results reflected the student’s concerns with 83.40% opposing yearly fee hikes, 74.90% asserting a lack of hostels and scholarships, and 90.90% stating that the Central Government failed to fulfil its job creation promise.

A total of 2,726 votes were cast across the mentioned universities.

AISA's focus on issues such as public-funded education, unemployment, centralisation of entrance examinations, the complete revocation of NEP 2020, and the dilution of education garnered widespread support.