GUWAHATI, June 23 - The Assam state committee of the All India Democratic Students� Organisation (AIDSO) has called for a �class boycott� in the colleges across the State on Monday, against the government�s decision to impose certain conditions in the free admission schemes for students from lower income groups in the HS and degree levels.
The students� organisation said that the condition of giving free admission only to regular students having minimum 75 per cent attendance with no �back� paper in previous examinations defeats the very purpose of bringing this scheme.
�A student from a poor family might have several reasons for not attending class regularly, thereby missing the benchmark of 75 per cent attendance. Similarly, denying free admission to students having a �back� in their previous semester is injustice to students who aspire to get higher education despite their financial adversities,� Ajay Acharya, vice president of the organisation told The Assam Tribune.
It may be noted that the State government had announced a benefit of admission fee waiver up to degree level for students whose parental income is less than Rs 1 lakh. During the last budget, the slab of parental income was enhanced from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh to help more students get the benefit of higher education. The scheme includes students from all provincialised and government colleges and State universities.
�We welcome the move to increase the income bracket to Rs 2 lakh. But, at the same time, denying such benefits to a section of students on the ground of certain conditions is injustice to them. Such conditions raise questions on the State government�s intentions,� Acharya said.
�Along with class boycott, we will also burn copies of the circular issued by the Higher Education Department of the State in this regard,� he mentioned.
The organisation also raised the issue of absence of infrastructure and adequate faculties in government schools and colleges and absence of the right environment that can encourage students to attend regular classes or do well in studies.
�Poor students cannot take tuitions or additional help. Further, our evaluation system is also not beyond suspicion. In such circumstances, we cannot shut the doors of higher education for students without evaluating the reasons behind their failure of lesser attendance,� the organisation added. It also demanded extending this benefit to students of venture colleges as well.
