Tata Institute of Social Sciences students join protest march against NEP in Delhi

Protest march coincides with the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. File pic

A group of students from Tata Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai (TISS) including members of Progressive Students Forum - a students' collective from TISS - are all set to participate in the ‘United Students of India' march to the Parliament on January 12. So far, as many as 22 students from TISS are joining the protest, with more expected to join today, students said.

Sixteen student organisations (under the United Students of India banner), most of them associated with various constituent parties of the Opposition INDIA bloc, will be taking to the streets of the national capital, marching to the Parliament as part of their protest against the Union government. Their main demand is a withdrawal of the National Education Policy (NEP). The march is considered a move to "sustain momentum" in "strengthening the fight to protect the education and employment sector in India", protestors from TISS said.

"Twelve of us have already departed and an additional 10 individuals will join us. Currently, 22 participants are heading from Mumbai. We anticipate the inclusion of more students for our cause. The protests will reach their culmination with a march to the Parliament on January 12 - Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary," said Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, a research scholar in development studies at TISS and a Central Executive Committee Member, as well as the Maharashtra state joint secretary of the Students Federation of India.

According to Sivanandan, NEP makes a mockery of public trust in higher education and research by eliminating all standards of quality and equity from publicly funded institutions. "The NEP represents an assault on quality education in India, reaching alarming heights under the current BJP-led union government. ‘Save Education, Reject NEP, Save India' is our only call," he said.

Another student asserted, "Our protest will persist until the NEP is withdrawn. This is the Union government's endeavour to standardise the admission processes, centralise power, and undermine the autonomy of prestigious institutions, thereby controlling the entry of individuals. It mirrors a broader trend of reshaping academia to align with their ideological framework, restricting education and resources to a privileged section of society. This is part of the government's comprehensive strategy to exert influence, stifle dissent, and reshape institutions according to their ideological perspective, particularly within the context of Hindu politics."

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) unveiled a survey report revealing that 94.5 per cent of the surveyed stakeholders (sample size of 2,536) expressed dissatisfaction with the four-year honours degree program (as per NEP). Additionally, 92.32 per cent of respondents stated that the multiple entry and exit provision would not significantly contribute to securing employment opportunities.

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Min no of TISS students going to protest