The National Students Union of India on Monday carried a protest march to the HRD Ministry where they demand UGC gazette to be revoked and also raised their concern on the issue of granting autonomy to the DU colleges. The march proceeded from the NSUI office, on Raisina Road to the nearest office of the 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.
There was also minor scuffle between the protestors and police, which was deployed at the Raisina Road as protesters were stopped from moving further by the barricades.
Upon following the 2009 UGC order, Jawaharlal Nehru University slashed it number of intakes in M.Phil. and PhD. Upon slashing, a 900 plus intake reduced to 100 odd intake across all centers of the university. Not only this, but university also set the bar on the number of M.Phil. and PhD. students, which a particular faculty member can guide.
Another issue against which the protestors raise their voice was about granting the autonomy to the DU colleges against which Pathak said, was "an underhanded move" to bring privatization into 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 privatize those colleges," Pathak said.