Mangaluru: The Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarti Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest in front of Karnataka Polytechnic demanding the state government to solve the problems of SC/ST hostels and the problems faced by the students in government colleges here, on September 1.
Addressing the protesters, ABVP National Executive member Chaitra said that since many years students have been protesting to get basic facilities in colleges but the government is not showing any concern towards the students. She said, “In government colleges, there are no proper toilets, the seating arrangements are not in place, there is lack of faculty but so far no action has been taken to appoint new staff. The state government is not understanding the importance of basic facilities for the students in colleges. We have demanded the government to provide us with basic facilities but the government has not fulfilled the promises it has made during the past few years.”
She further said that ABVP has demanded hostels and better facilities for SC/ST students in the city to help them pursue higher education, but the students are not being provided good food or accommodation, even from the past two years the SC/ST students did not get scholarship . “For each criminal, the government spends Rs 92 per day but the SC/ST students get Rs 31 per day as boarding house stipend. It is sad on the part of the government on how they treat a criminal and a student.”
The students demanded the government to appoint faculty in their colleges so that they can get quality education in government colleges. Private educational institutions have been commercialized and most of the people cannot afford education in private colleges. Students should be provided with all basic facilities in government colleges, they demanded.
They also demanded to increase the stipend and basic facilities in the SC/ST students hostels.