Hyderabad Students Rally Against National Education Policy 2020
In a significant demonstration of dissent, members of the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) orchestrated a large-scale signature campaign in Hyderabad, vehemently opposing the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This mobilization also served as a platform to denounce the alarming trend of government school closures, with activists advocating for the reinforcement of public education infrastructure across the region.
Voices of Concern at the State-Level Convention
During a state-level students' convention, which was an integral component of the signature drive, prominent figures voiced their apprehensions regarding the current state of education. PL Vishweshwar Rao, a distinguished member of the Telangana Education Commission, painted a grim picture of the nation's educational landscape, describing it as alarming. He criticized NEP 2020, labeling it as undemocratically imposed and argued that it fails to enhance the education system. Instead, Rao contended that the policy fosters privatisation, saffronisation, and centralisation of education, pledging to escalate these student-centric issues to governmental authorities for urgent attention.
Academic Perspectives on NEP 2020's Impact
Adding to the chorus of criticism, Amanchi Nageshwar Rao, a professor at Osmania University, highlighted the exacerbating effects NEP 2020 could have on Telangana's already beleaguered education sector. He pointed out severe deficiencies in infrastructure, teacher availability, and funding within government institutions, warning that the policy's implementation would only deepen these crises, making education more inaccessible and distressing for students across the state.
Massive Public Support and Future Plans
The campaign garnered overwhelming public backing, with AIDSO members collecting an impressive 1.4 lakh signatures, which were formally submitted to the principal secretary of the Telangana government. Ch Sasank, a state executive member of AIDSO, revealed that approximately 300 students participated in the convention, underscoring the widespread discontent among the youth. In a stern warning, the organization announced plans to initiate larger movements if the government neglects to address their grievances, signaling a potential escalation in protests unless concrete steps are taken to reform the education system and safeguard public educational institutions from further decline.
