Faridkot: Outraged over ‘self-financing’, students hold protest at AAP leader’s residence

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Faridkot, July 24

A year on, the resumption of the of the BSc agriculture course at a government college in Faridkot has landed the AAP leaders of the area in a difficult situation.

Two years ago, it was the AAP leaders, including Faridkot MLA Gurdit Singh Sekhon, who were among the protesters. They sat on a dharna with the students and demanded the resumption of this course. However, the MLA is on the receiving end of the students’ wrath this time around.

The students said the AAP leaders had misled them in the recommencement of the course. They said the course was started in 1942 at Government Brijindra College in Faridkot to promote scientific inputs in agriculture. However, admissions to the course were stopped in 2019 due to the unavailability of faculty and farm land, among other reasons mandated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The shortcomings included 25 acres of agricultural land, a modern laboratory, and adequate staff.

The discontinuation of the course led to a prolonged protest by the students, demanding the resumption of the course. The protest was joined by AAP leaders in the area.

In May 2023, Kotkapura MLA and Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan announced the resumption of the course. However, a year down the line, the college received a letter from the Director of Higher Education. The director had asked the college authorities to run the course in self-finance mode under the umbrella of the High Education Institute Society (HEIS).

The required teaching faculty for the course would be appointed by the HEIS, and the salary would be paid by the HEIS as per the 7th UGC pay scale.

Students began their protest against the directions, as self-financing of the course would lead to a significant hike in the tuition fee. They blamed the AAP leaders for not pursuing their case. The students held a dharna in front of Faridkot MLA Gurdit Singh Sekhon’s house.

Sekhon said, “I was the frontrunner who had sat at the protest dharna demanding the resumption of this course here. I have assured the protesting students that I would raise the matter with the state government.”

For fulfilling the requisite land conditions of the ICAR, the Speaker had asked the Punjab Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor to provide 65 acres of Krishi Vigyan Kendra Faridkot for the use of the college, said Sekhon.

Will take up matter with state govt

I was the frontrunner at the dharna demanding the resumption of this course. I have assured the students that I would raise the matter with the state government. — Gurdit Singh Sekhon, Faridkot MLA