The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Students take to the streets, blame Govt., colleges

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Students take to the streets, blame Govt., colleges

By Our Staff Reporter

Members of the Students' Federation of India being taken away by policemen for staging a demonstration near Mysore Bank Circle in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

BANGALORE, AUG. 10. As the managements of private professional colleges and the Government continued their court battles over the admissions imbroglio, students' organisations took to the streets on Tuesday holding them responsible for the death of Prathibha, a professional course aspirant who committed suicide here on Sunday.

Activists of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) blocked the roads at the Mysore Bank Circle here for about an hour in protest against the commercialisation of professional education which, they said, had led to Prathibha's suicide. Thirty activists were arrested and removed from the place by the Ulsoor Gate police. Traffic was disrupted on all the roads leading to the circle.

Leaders of the SFI charged that COMED-K's (Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges, Karnataka), "refusal" to obey the law on the seating-sharing ratio of 75:25 and accept proposals to reduce fees, the Union and State governments' "indifference" to the students' plight and "anti-education rulings" were responsible for Pratibha's death. The State Government should summon political will and resolve the admissions issue, the activists demanded.

`Black-days protest'

The SFI demanded Central legislation on the issue, subsidy for poor students and an admissions policy based on merit and which would serve the interest of social justice. It decided to observe "black days" from August 11 to 17 in the State.

The All-India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO) activists joined the protest at Mysore Bank Circle, where several students and parents gathered. The AIDSO State unit president, M.N. Sriram, urged the students to launch an agitation in support of their demands.

Pratibha, he said, was frustrated over the admissions imbroglio and had lost hope of securing a seat in a professional college. "The suicide itself expresses the obnoxious situation prevailing over the professional college issue." The organisation said Central legislation was the only solution to the problem. However, until a law could be enacted, the State Government should provide grants to meritorious students, Mr. Sriram said.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which demanded Central legislation and a Rs. 65-crore fee subsidy, held a dharna outside the Chief Minister's residence.

It also decided to launch a State-wide agitation on Wednesday.

`Nationalise colleges'

The Parents' Association alleged that the State Government had not thought of enacting a law on fees. It had failed to safeguard the interest of students, it said and suggested nationalisation of professional colleges.

The All-India Students Federation (AISF) alleged that the COMED-K chairman, R.L. Jalappa's "provocative statements" had made Pratibha commit suicide.

The federation demanded that a criminal case be registered against him. However, the AISF said suicides would not help solve the admissions problem and urged students to be united in their demand for a Central law. It announced that it would launch a State-wide agitation.

`Chaos not to blame'

The Karnataka Private Medical Colleges' Association said Pratibha's disappointment at not being able to secure a medical seat could not be attributed to the seat-sharing confusion between the Government and managements.

"Even if 100 per cent of the seats in all the colleges were with the Government, she could not have got a seat because of her (low) CET ranking," the association secretary, M.R. Jayaram, said.

He said Pratibha would have secured admission to an engineering course as nearly 30,000 seats were available. Pratibha had a CET engineering rank of 15,908 and a medical rank of 9,910.

The corresponding COMED-K ranks were 5,918 and 9,352. "The total number of medical seats available in Karnataka is less than 3,000," Mr. Jayaram added.

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