For days the students of JNU have been protesting fee hikes. The protest reached a turning point on Monday when hundreds of students protested as the university’s third convocation was ongoing, some three kilometres from the university, which was attended by the vice president of India and the union human resource development minister.
Such protests will not be uncommon as the universities across the country are set to increase their fees with the central government drastically cutting down funds.
Centrally-funded universities have been asked to generate funds up to 30 percent, which is nearly impossible for most universities. So, to cut down cost, the universities have already increased fees or are in the process of increasing fees.
Increase in fees means keeping out the marginalized and the poor students.
The Modi government has to relook at the discriminatory higher education policy. The Centre must ensure that higher education is accessible and inclusive. Increase in fees is directly targeting the poor and the marginalized.
Higher education should not be only for the elite class of India. There are lakhs of students who have so far been able to pursue higher education because it was affordable. But the situation is changing as the Modi government seems keener on spending money on promotional affairs than on higher education.
The rich, irrespective of caste or tribe, will get the best of higher education because they can afford it. But lakhs of students who do not have access to resources will be kept out. This is discrimination against the poor and the marginalized, and it needs to stop immediately.