NSUI marches to HRD Ministry against UGC gazette, autonomy issue

The National Students Union of India (NSUI) on Monday carried out a protest march to the Union HRD Ministry here demanding revocation of a controversial UGC gazette and also raising concern over grant of 'autonomy' to DU colleges.

The march proceeded from the NSUI office, on Raisina Road, to the nearby office of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry.

"We wanted the HRD Ministry to revoke the UGC gazette and also to stop its attempts to give autonomy to Delhi University colleges," the students wing's National Secretary Vivekanand Pathak told IANS over phone.

The demonstrators were also caught in a minor scuffle with police deployed at Raisina Road where they were stopped from moving further by barricades.

Following a 2009 University Grants Commission (UGC) order, the Jawaharlal Nehru University has slashed its M.Phil and Ph.D drastically. An earlier 900-plus seat intake has reduced to 100-odd across all centres of the university.

The UGC order recommended a limitation on the number of M.Phil and Ph.D students who can be guided by the faculty members.

Another issue which the students raised was of granting autonomy to the colleges which, Pathak said, was "an underhanded move" to privatise these colleges.

"Instead of according autonomy to universities of regulating admission, of creating their own syllabus, you (MHRD) are giving it to colleges. There is a hidden plan to privatise those colleges," Pathak said.

--IANS

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