Student organisations hold nationwide referendum of pupils

Anshita Mehra

New Delhi, February 12

Under the umbrella of ‘Young India’, several student bodies, including AISA, SFI, AISF, AISB, RYA, MSF, CYSS and PSU, unveiled the outcomes of the nationwide ‘Young India’ Referendum.

The referendum aimed at gauging the sentiments of students and youth regarding education and employment. It took place across around 60 universities of the country from February 7 to 9.

The referendum focused on key issues such as affordable education, dignified employment, yearly fee hikes, provision of hostels, scholarships for needy students and the government’s promise to generate two crore jobs annually.

Approximately 1 lakh votes were casted in the referendum, from whom 88.33 per cent students expressed opposition to yearly fee hikes. Around 86 per cent stated that the Centre had not adequately provided hostels and scholarships for the needy students. As many as 91 per cent of the participants declared that the government had failed to fulfil its promise of creating two crore jobs annually.

In Central universities like Delhi University and Andhra Pradesh’s educational institutions, students echoed similar sentiments, with higher number of students voting against fee hikes and expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s performance on scholarships, hostels and job creation.

During a press conference, Laxman Yadav, a teacher and activist, criticised the government’s policies, stating: “Our campuses are being turned into prisons. I am a former professor because the university did not want democratic people inside the campus.”