Ahmedabad, September 9: Beginning Monday, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) will launch a 12-day long agitation across the State to protest against the allegedly anti-education policies of the State Government. The agitation, ‘Shikshan Bachao Abhiyan’ (save education campaign), will include staging of demonstrations in all districts.

NSUI Gujarat unit president Indravijaisinh Gohil on Sunday elaborated the major issues concerning education which needed urgent attention.

According to him, for nine years, no fresh recruitment had been made either in self-financed colleges or government colleges since 1998. Their demand included the recruitment of vidya sahayak, shikshan sahayak, adhyapak sahayak and full-pay teachers. Also, he said, out of 52 polytechnics in Gujarat, only three had permanent posts of principals which is filled. He pointed out saying that despite having resorted to agitation on all these issues, the Government had not succeeded in devising a proper admission policy.

Gohil said that since higher education in State is becoming costlier, students are compelled to seek admission in other states. Apart from that no proper facilities are provided to Tribal, Harijan and Baxi Panch category students in Government hostels. No hike in their scholarship has been introduced whereas fees have been increased considerably, he said.

Besides these, Government is monitoring self-financed colleges and using students for government and party programmes in violation of Supreme Court orders, denying reservation benefits to SC/ST students, corruption in recruitment and menace of donation in schools are issues which are to be taken up during the stir. He pointed out that the Government had failed to open any granted medical college in the State and there had been cases of embezzlement in use of money under Mid Day Meal scheme.

The stir will start from Ahwa on Monday where the rally will start at 9 am and a chakka jam will be organised at 11 am at Valsad and Padyatra at 2 pm in Navsari. One day will be allotted to each district for various agitations which will culminate in Ahmedabad where a death bell will be rung at 2 pm on September 21.