Delays in the publication of results and disbursement of fellowships and a dearth of hostels in undergraduate degree colleges across Karnataka are some of the problems which have worried students. Taking up these issues, AIDSO (All India Democratic Students' Organisation) organised a state-wide protest yesterday, December 9.
The protests were organised in several districts of Karnataka, while the one in Bengaluru was held at Freedom Park, with more than 100 students taking part in it. "We are waiting for the college authorities to respond to the students' demands," AIDSO State Secretary Ajay Kamath said.
So, what were the demands?
Release the results
The students belonging to the first NEP (National Education Policy) batch, who were admitted in 2021 to the UG courses say that though they are currently in their third semester, they are yet to find out their first and second semester results. "The results of the NEP batch UG students should be released immediately," said Chandrika, a student of Maharani College in Bengaluru.
Grant of scholarships
"The BCM (Backward Classes Minority), SC (Scheduled Caste) and (Scheduled Tribe) students are affected due to the delay in the release of their respective scholarships. On top of this, they are being asked to pay extra fees," Ajay said. Mahantesh B, AIDSO District President, Dharwad, added, "Many of them have not received the scholarships from the previous years."
Meanwhile, "Non-release of scholarships has created a lot of anxiety among the students. Hundreds of students from poor families depend on scholarships. If the scholarship is not sanctioned, it will be difficult for most students to complete their education. Full scholarships should be released to students immediately," Chandrika said.
Hostel allotments
The students claim that there is a gap in the demand and supply of hostels. "There is a huge hostel crisis in Karnataka, especially in Dharwad and Mysore districts. In Dharwad, for example, there are 5,618 applicants for BCM hostels, but seats are limited to only 492," said Mahantesh.
"The students have already taken admission but colleges are yet to allot hostels," said Ajay. Mahantesh added that students had to rent rooms at other places due to the shortage. "Hostel is a basic requirement for students. But the number of hostels is not commensurate with the number of graduate students. The number of hostels should be increased in proportion to the number of graduate students in the state. And district enrollment should also be increased," Chandana, another student from Maharani college said.
Other miscellaneous issues
"The number of buses to and from the villages has been drastically reduced," said Subhash Bettadakoppa, also a State Secretary member from AIDSO. "There were about 5-6 such buses before the COVID-19 pandemic, but now the number has come down to 1-2. As a result, students from the villages are facing difficulties. Many of them are having to wait for hours to catch a bus back home," Mahantesh said.
Subhash added that they have requested the government to look into this. "While the problem has been resolved in some districts, for some this is yet to be done," he said.
"We also raised the issue of some Women's Degree Colleges which lack their infrastructure. One in Dharwad, for instance, runs in an old school building, while another in Belgaum is running from a government PU college. The PU classes are held in the morning and the UG classes are then held in the afternoon," Mahantesh said.
He added that the matter of many government scholarships being withdrawn was additionally taken up. "We request the government to reinstate the scholarships and increase the funds. As per the budget, the Centre and State should spend 10 per cent and 30 per cent respectively on Education. But the amount spent in Karnataka on Education does not exceed 10 per cent," Mahantesh stated.
The road ahead
The AIDSO leaders and students hope these problems would be addressed soon. "We have submitted a representation to Minister of Higher Education CN Ashwath Narayan through the District (Dharwad) Collector. However, Ajay denied any such action in Bengaluru. "We hope the college authorities will look into the problems," he said.
