By Sujatha Varma

Copyright thehindu

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students’ Union president and All India Joint Secretary of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Aishe Ghosh, on Sunday condemned the TDP-led coalition government’s decision to hand over 10 government medical colleges to private entities under the public–private partnership (PPP) model in Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a press conference organised by the SFI State committee, Ms. Ghosh warned that once these 10 colleges were privatised, the government would not hesitate to hand over the remaining institutions as well. She said the move would make medical education unaffordable for poor students and healthcare costlier for the public. Stressing the need to protect the public education system, she called for an intensified nationwide struggle against privatisation.

She alleged that nearly 6,000 schools had been shut down in Andhra Pradesh in the last four years due to the implementation of the New Education Policy. The introduction of a four-year degree course, she said, had caused a significant drop in student enrolment. While government universities were being starved of funds, she alleged, private and deemed universities were being actively encouraged. Ms. Ghosh further accused the BJP-led Central government of pushing education towards “privatisation, corporatisation, and commercialisation.”

SFI State president Rammohan and secretary Prasanna Kumar criticised the State government for ignoring repeated representations from students. Referring to the death of Andhra University student Manikanta, they said it reflected the “failure of the government and university authorities.” It was “shameful,” they added, that student unions’ demands for justice were being politicised.

On the fee reimbursement issue, the leaders said that of the ₹6,400 crore pending, the government had released only ₹400 crore, leaving thousands of students in distress. They demanded the immediate release of the arrears and a hike in mess and cosmetic charges in welfare hostels.

SFI State joint secretary Ch. Venkateswara Rao, NTR district president Kumar Swamy, district vice-president Praneeth, and leader Shanmukh were among those present.