Press Releases

Details: Press Releases; 05 July 2017

The Central Executive Committee of Students' Federation of India extends its full support to the ongoing agitation and relay hunger strike of the students of IIT-Bombay against the huge fees hike under various heads. Students have been boycotting classes from the third week of June as a mark of protest but administration of IIT-Bombay did not pay the heed to the protesting students. Notw students were forced to take the protest to next level and they have started a relay hunger strike.
There is a huge fee hike IIT Bombay which includes a 300% hike in hostel rent, 167% hike in gymkhana fees, 100% hike in examination, registration and medical fees, and between 30% and 50% increase in other charges. This hike came after a year when Government had increased the annual tuition fees for under graduation students from Rs 90,000 to Rs 2 lakh (more than double) throughout the nation in all IITS.
This was a unilateral and undemocratic decision of the administration of IIT Bombay as the proposal of fee hike was not even discussed with student representatives. Central government is continuously withdrawing from its responsibility to fund the education institutions especially higher education which is resulting in enormous hikes in fees in almost all the institutions. This is a very dangerous trend under the neo economic policies adopted by successive governments where students are forced to pay for their education which is resulting in denial of opportunities to the economically and socially sections of the society. Present central government is implementing these policies at a much higher speed and scale.
Central Executive Committee of Students' Federation of India is committed to fight against all these efforts of the central Government and is supporting brave protesting students strongly. We demand immediate withdrawal of the all hikes in fees without any condition failing which will face a nationwide agitation of students in support of IIT Bombay students.

VP Sanu Vikram Singh

President General Secretary

Details: Press Releases; 15 June 2017

Central Executive Committee of Students Federation of India strongly condemns the atrocious move by the UGC to scrap the exam scheduled for July, 2017 which will now happen on 19th of November. This also means that the NET exam in December won't be happening this time. This leads to a situation where under the carpet the ministry is curtailing the bi annual NET examination and making it a yearly event. The number of students qualifying NET exam every will effectively reduce to half if it is held yearly. All this is being done without any policy document of the UGC. The functioning of UGC lacks absolute transparency and this also exposes the nature and authoritarian way of functioning of this government.

In another draconian move they are lowering down the total percentage of students who qualify for NET from 15% under each category to 6% of overall students appearing for NET exam. Although the UGC claims that the reservation criteria will be implemented within this 6% of students who qualify but that will also result in a sharp decrease in the total number of students who qualify NET. This effectively means that the total number of students qualifying NET exam every year will come down to 3% as compared to the current bi-annual mode. There are thousands of teaching posts vacant in higher educational institutions of the country, with drastic reduction in numbers qualifying NET, this is an attack on employment of thousands students who are potential candidates for these teaching posts.

A fraction of the students who qualify NET exam are eligible for Junior Research Fellowship. The lowering of total numbers of those qualifying NET will direct impact the number of students being awarded JRF. The UGC on an earlier instance in the year 2015 had proposed to withdraw Non-NET fellowship which met with vehement protests throughout the nation and UGC was forced to revoke it. This comes as another attack on students pursuing research.

The UGC has also proposed to make NET mandatory for admission to research. NET is an examination which tests the aptitude of teaching it nowhere is aimed to test aptitude of research skills. Equating both cannot be substantiated by any logic. With drastic seat cut in M.Phil/ Phd following the implementation of UGC Gazette Notification, 2016, in effect the government has planned to shut down research.

The SFI calls upon all its units across the country to organize protests from the 17th to 23rd of June against the draconian move of the UGC.

V.P Sanu Vikram Singh
(President) (General Secretary)

Details: Press Releases; 30 May 2017

The Central Executive Committee of Students Federation of India Condemns the brutal assault on IIT Madras student R. Sooraj by the right wing hindutva forces inside the campus. Sooraj, a participant in a protest against the newly brought ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets, was subjected to a group attack which resulted in serious injury to his right eye.

This recent order by the central government is another declaration of war on the democratic rights of the people. The democratic communities and secular forces of this country have stated that it is an attack on the cultural diversity of the nation and also, an assault on the small cattle traders and their livelihood. On the other hand this should also be seen as an assault on the federal system of the country.

On 28th May, a programme was organised in IITM Campus, as a mark of protest against the central government order in which Sooraj, a PhD scholar also participated in solidarity with the nationwide agitation. After the peaceful discussion, the students ate beef and expressed their protest against the ban. The shocking incidents unravelled after some of the perpetrators issued open threats to student participants of the discussion, on social media. The student who damaged Sooraj’s right eye, Manish Kumar Singh had called up participants of the beef festival and had warned them of dire consequences. Manish Kumar Singh has the dubious record of threatening and manhandling students even in earlier incidents within the campus. Seven students surrounded Sooraj during lunch time at a hostel canteen on Tuesday and attacked him. The attackers had the gall to follow Sooraj to hospital and threaten him there. Sooraj has been shifted to Apollo Hospital and requires eye surgery. A case has been filed with the Tamil Nadu Police and a complaint has been registered with IIT administration also.

Students Federation of India extends its solidarity with Sooraj and other IITM students in their struggle for democratic rights to discussion and protest. We demand that the IIT administration act briskly on this issue, and expel the culprits behind this heinous crime. We also demand that strong legal action be taken against all other perpetrators of this dreadful attack. SFI appeals to all democratic and progressive sections to rally together to defeat the hindutva and neo-liberal assault on the lives of the millions and also to protect the democratic spaces in campuses.

Released By

VP Sanu (President) Vikram Singh (General Secretary)

Details: Press Releases; 20 May 2017

Condemn the Brutal ABVP Attack on SFI Activists in Himachal Pradesh University

The Central Executive Committee of SFI, in the strongest possible words condemns the brutal attack on SFI activists by the ABVP goons in Himachal Pradesh University. The assault with swords and iron rods was unleashed by the saffron brigade who entered into the mess hall of Tagore hostel at yesterday night. Six comrades including the SFI unit Vice President Keval Kumar and Hostel president Vaibav Aman were hospitalized with severe injuries.

SFI has been leading militant struggles against the corrupt Vice Chancellor of HP University for a long time. One of the first activities of this VC after coming to office was to ban students’ union elections in the university. He was in forefront to curb all the democratic spaces and voices in the campus. He was dancing at the tune of Sangh Parivar and ABVP. SFI demanded to not give him a second period as VC after the completion of his first term. ABVP wanted the VC to get extended his period in the office. While the huge majority of the student community has been firmly rallying with the slogans raised by SFI the rejected ABVP looked upon the corrupt and anti-student Vice Chancellor as their refuge. This is the primary reason which led to a gruesome attack on SFI leaders by the frustrated ABVP criminals.

SFI demands the Himachal Pradesh state government to take immediate action against the murder attempt on SFI leaders. We appeal to all democratic and secular sections to rally together to protect the democratic spaces of university campuses across the country.

Released By

VP Sanu (President) Vikram Singh (General Secretary)