Press Releases

Details: Press Releases; 31 July 2015

The Central Executive Committee of SFI condemns in strongest possible words the police lathi-charge unleashed on protesting students in Pondicherry University. The PU campus has been witnessing a vibrant movement with a huge students participation demanding the

removal of the vice chancellor for submitting fake bio-data to the search committee for gaining the post.

The students are raising their voice also against the administration on the questions of serious irregularities, huge fee hike, lackadaisical approach on ensuring better infrastructure etc and demanding 25% reservation for the students belongs to Pondicherry.

Pondicherry University (a 30 year old Central University) is headed by Mrs. Chandra Krishnamurthy, whose appointment violated the Act and Statutes of the University. The situation in the university took a turn for the worse after she took the charge of the VC two and Half years ago. The fee was hiked by almost 200% in this period. The building which was inaugurated during the tenure of the earlier VC for 24 hour library hasn't been made functional yet. Students of different disciplines are heavily affected by the lack of proper infrastructure. The administration of this university has also become infamous for its approach of protecting the culprits of Ragging and sexual harassment and victimising those who stand against such atrocities. Earlier two sfi activists were suspended from the University for protesting against ragging and harassment. Later university was forced to go back from the autocratic decision after the Madras High Court criticised them in a sharp language for such irresponsible and anti-student stands.

A 'Save PU' campaign has started in pondicherry University weeks back raising all this questions and demanding the removal of the VC who is not qualified to hold the office of the VC. Today, a large number of students blockaded the main gates of the campus. The police along with the hired goons of the administration attacked the students who were protesting peacefully. Police began began lathi-charge without any provocation from the side of the students or any prior warning. Many protesters including girl students are injured and hospitalised. Around 25 students are arrested.

SFI demands the MHRD to intervene in the issue immediately and take actions against the VC for submitting fake bio-data to gain the post. We also urge to the authorities to meet with the legitimate demands of the protesting students of pondicherry University and end the hunt on campus democracy.

Released by

Dr. V Sivadasan, President

Ritabrata Banerjee MP, General Secretary

Details: Press Releases; 18 July 2015

Central Executive Committee of the Students’ Federation of India condemns the brazen attempts of the saffron brigade to infiltrate our educational and cultural institutions. In the latest incident a circular dated 11th July the college education department of Rajasthan has recommended all government colleges in the state to purchase the book, ‘Aadhunik Bharat ke Nirmata Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar’, written by academic Rakesh Sinha. Author of the book is the Honorary Director of the India Policy Foundation – a think tank associated with the RSS.

Nothing could have been anything more bizarre than associating Hedgewar with the modern Indian nation. In fact, Hedgewar’s life and thoughts are completely antithetical to the very idea of modern Indian nation.

The latest notification forms part of the RSS’ attempts to ‘Indianize’ the Education system from the so-called ‘western influences’. All these measures essentially attack the rationality and scientific values in all spheres of education.

CEC calls upon all its units to isolate RSS and its affiliates through ruthless ideological struggle against such brazen attempts. This ideological struggle will decide the trajectory of our education system, as well as that of our nation.

Released by

Dr. V Sivadasan (President)

Ritabrata Banerjee (General Secretary)

Details: Press Releases; 22 June 2015

A very unfortunate situation has arisen in the country with respect to the legitimacy and trust of the public education system in India. The extent to which corruption has permeated the higher echelons of the state machinery is evident in the way in which the CBSE All India Pre Medical Test was conducted. The scale of malpractices that took place is shocking and it has the potential to erode the trust and legitimacy enjoyed by bodies like CBSE which conduct these tests. According to the Haryana police reports, around 700 students were benefitted by an organized leakage of the question paper and 44 of them have been so far identified. This has prompted a group of students to approach the Supreme Court of India to get the results cancelled. The Supreme Court in its verdict given on 15 the June 2015 has cancelled the examination and has ordered a re-conduct of the All India Pre Medical Test.

The insecurities produced by the capitalist system where cut throat competition and avarice are promoted as great virtues have resulted in the distortion of the very purpose of education. The students are forced to compete for limited seats of a few courses even when they have aptitude and talent in other areas. The public expenditure on education in India remains pathetically low and it has affected the development of the educational infrastructure in India which results in the paucity of the seats available. Such a predicament along with the privatization and commercialization of education create a situation which leads to corruption and malpractices.
It has to be noted that it was judiciary of India which had foiled the bold initiative by the Left Democratic Front Government of Kerala which had brought in a legislation titled The Kerala Professional Colleges or Institutions (Prohibition of Capitation Fee, Regulation of Admission, Fixation of Non-exploitative Fee and Other Measures to Ensure Equity and Excellence in Professional Education) Act, 2006, with comprehensive measures to put an end to the profiteering and commoditisation of education by private, unaided, minority and non-minority professional college managements.
The CBSE has vested the conduct of the AIPMT on private agencies and the entire process lacks transparency. The callous approach adopted by the NDA regime is to be blamed for the present fiasco. There should be a comprehensive investigation and the culprits should be brought to justice.
SFI demands the enactment of a comprehensive legislation to guide the conduct of these examinations. The bodies which are vested with the conduct of such examinations should be made accountable to the people and immediate measures should be taken to ensure their transparency and accountability.

Released by
Dr V Sivadasan, President
Ritabrata Banerjee, General Secretary

Details: Press Releases; 22 June 2015

SFI central executive committee stands in solidarity with the students of Film and Television Institute of India, FTII who are bravely protesting against the shameless attempts to saffronise one of the prime Institutes of the country. An indefinite hunger strike has been launched by the students against the Modi led NDA Government's appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman of the governing Council of FTII. Chauhan, whose only credential to head the internationally reputed Institute is that he played the role of Yudishtar in the Mahabharatha TV serial which was telecasted by Doordarshan during early 90's. He is a vocal supporter of BJP for last two decades and also a member since 2004. He was an active campaigner for Modi during the last general election. FTII which produced many finest talents of Indian cinema was headed in the past by stalwarts like Shyam Benagal, Mrinal Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Girish karnad and so on. The appointment of Gajendra Chauhan is another attempt by Modi Government to bring the major research and cultural institutions of the country under the complete control of Sangh Parivar by filling them with their servile ideological henchmen.

For the past one year of Modi Government serious efforts are being made to saffronise the educational and cultural institutions. The appointment of Chauhan is not the first instance where Sangh Parivar's dangerous communal agenda has been pushed forward. Earlier Sudarsan Rao, a true Modi disciple and RSS sympathizer was appointed as the head of Indian Council for Historical Research, ICHR. Rao's qualification to hold this position was nothing but his ability to replace historical facts with Hindu mythologies. In another attempt historians like Romila Thapar and Irfan Habib were thrown out from the ICHR advisory board by the government, replacing them with the sympathisers of Sangh's Hindutva ideology. Baldev Sharma who was the editor of Panchajanya, the mouth piece of RSS was appointed as the head of National Book Trust, NBT earlier this year.

These desperate attempts are only aimed to suppress all voices of dissent and to create a favorable social and cultural atmosphere for the terrorizing pursuit of neo liberal policies of Modi government. Along with the assaults on the Democratic and secular values of the Indian society, Sangh Parivar is trying to uproot the very core of rational thought and the objective historical consciousness. To implement this Janus faced policy paradigm of Hindutva a and neo liberalism, Sangh Parivar has chosen educational Institutes especially Universities and other research centers as the primary target. To resist this right wing Hindutva agenda, collective resistance by the progressive and secular forces has to be Organised on a mass scale. It is important to remember that only because of such a valiant resistance that the MHRD was forced to remove the ban on Ambedkar-Periyar study Circle in Madras IIT. SFI CEC gives a call to rise up in protest nation wide in solidarity with the fighting students of FTII and to resist the continuing undemocratic and anti student moves by Modi led right wing NDA Government.

Released by
Dr V Sivadasan, President
Ritabrata Banerjee, General Secretary