AISF national meet begins

Hyderabad: The 28th National Conference of AISF vowed to contain the impact of market forces and communalisation of education.

Inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor of Osmania University, S Satyanarayana, it focused chiefly on the education system being affected by the market forces trying to target privileged.

Speaking on the occasion, Satyanarayana highlighted the importance of student unions for bringing back the quality of education at affordable means. He felt that the higher fee was pushing the poor and underprivileged away from obtaining quality education.

According to him, India was still following the methodology adopted in 1857. When there were 14.5 crore students, between the age group of 18-25, it was only 17 per cent of this population which was going for higher studies. “If it becomes 30 per cent, the societal needs can be addressed,” he said. Burgula Narsing Rao, freedom fighter, brought the attention of the students towards ‘communalisation of education’. He called for the fight against the communal forces bent upon destabilising the country. Former MP Aziz Pasha pointed out that the education was given the lowest priority by the government. He asked the government to hike the spending on education from GDP from 3.6 per cent to 6 per cent. “Since independence, the governments are continuing with the policy of giving low priority to education,” he said.

Along with AISF leaders, CPI leaders Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, Dr K Narayana, T Laxminarayana, K Narayana, Music Director Vandemataram Srinivas, actor M Ravi and director Maddineni Ravi were also present on the occasion.

The national president Paramjeet Dhabhan and general secretary Abhay Taksal highlighted the problems generated by the educational bills, waiting to be passed in the Parliament.