Students manifesto released ahead of LS polls

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) presented a “students’ manifesto” in the lead up to the Lok Sabha elections, which begin on April 19.

AIDSO state president Ashwini KS said that the goal of her organisation was to implement the ideals of “the founders of India's Renaissance movement”, Ishwara Chandra Vidyasagar, Savitribai Phule and revolutionaries Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh into the freedom struggle.

AIDSO state secretary Ajay Kamath said that the increasing commercialization of education had made it inaccessible to the poor.

“The Rajiv Gandhi government's education policy implemented in 1986 and the Modi government's education policy implemented in 2020 are both policies that have weakened public education and given way to privatization, commercialization and corporatization of education,” he said.

The organisation placed some 18 demands before the Union government that would come to power after general elections.

These include withdrawal of National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020, allocation of 10 per cent from central budget and 30 per cent from the state budget for education, cease closing of government schools and better infrastructure in public institutions.

Other demands include providing hostels with necessary facilities, distribution of educational grants etc.