Educationists and student leaders oppose payment quota seats in engineering college

AIDSO holds discussion, decides to continue its protest in Davangere

Educationists and student leaders opposed the decision to introduce payment quota seats in UBDT Government Engineering College in Davangere on Tuesday.

AIDSO held a discussion about the decision by the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and the State government on introducing 50% payment seats in the college.

Writer and State unit president of All India Education Save Committee Allamaprabhu Bettadur said that it is outrageous to introduce payment quota seats in a college which is the first choice of the poor.

By approving of this decision, the State government has betrayed the common people, he said.

He said that the government did not seem concerned about the dismal state of education in the State where most government institutions are suffering from large-scale teacher vacancies.

“Rather than supporting such institutions, the State government is taking less and less financial responsibility and selling seats in government colleges. It is condemnable,” he said.

He said that the State government has withdrawn National Education Policy (NEP 2020) following a sustained protest by AIDSO and the All India Save Education Committee.

“It is because of our agitation that moves like four-year degrees have been halted. Similarly, we will keep the fight up against the payment quota,” he said.

The former Vice-Chancellor, Hampi Kannada University, A. Murigeppa said that the payment quota seat can set a bad precedent in public institutions, in the name of resource mobilisation. This is nothing but the enforcement of a policy to divide students in the same course and class.

The government plans to collect ₹6 crore from payment quota students. It is not such a big burden for the State government and it can be easily handled, Prof. Murigeppa said.

He said that he will expect a pro-people government to introduce fee-less quota and not payment quota. “In fact, free education should be the sixth guarantee of the government that has introduced five guarantees for the poor,” he said.

It seems that the Congress government in the State that celebrated the International Day of Democracy recently, seems to be highly non-democratic, said the former principal of DRM Science Degree College K. Eshwarappa.

Introducing payment quota is nothing but implementing the policy of keeping the children of the poor and farmers out of higher education institutions. “This is against the ideologies preached by visionary leaders like the Buddha, Basava and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar,” he said.

He said that the Save UBDT movement will grow stronger till the policy is reversed. “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who claims to be pro-poor, should respond to this demand of the students. MLA Shamanur Shivshankarappa should convey the stand of the to the government,” he said.

The former principal of UBDT College Suresh Chandra Mohan said that the current fee of ₹43,000 itself is high for most poor students and introducing payment quota will further affect their prospects.

“The government should take complete financial responsibility of the college. I am confident that if the students stay united, the agitation will achieve success,” he said.

Alumnus of UVCE and State treasurer of AIDSO Subhash Bettadakoppa recalled similar agitations by UVCE students that have met with success.

“There is a danger in the payment quota system that is aimed at making UBDT a financially autonomous institution and it can ultimately lead to ownership by the private sector. We cannot allow that to happen,” he said.

“Universal and public-funded education was the dream of freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. They thought it will eliminate the problems of inequality and discrimination in this country and ensure secular, democratic and scientific education for all students. But the governments at the Centre and State have turned education into a commodity and are selling them for a price. This is discrimination against students,” he said.

He added that the agitation will continue.

“The State government desisted from introducing payment and donation quotas in government colleges due to our agitation. It was in fact forced to introduce government quotas in private colleges too. We will now continue the Save UBDT agitation by including students, alumni and retired faculty. A signature campaign will be launched,” he said.

District president of the organization Pooja Nandihalli, district secretary Suman T.S., committee members Chandan, Abhishek, Akhilesh, Bharat, Adarsh, Shivana Gowda, Rakshita, Reema, Meghna, Rudresh, Santhosh, Chetan, Shravan, Vijay, Nagendra and others were present.

Published - September 25, 2024 08:18 pm IST