The Students' Federation of India (SFI) has announced a nationwide strike on July 4, 2024, to address several pressing issues affecting the education sector. The strike aims to mobilize the entire student community to demand significant changes and express their grievances.
The primary demands of the strike include:
1. Scrapping the NTA System: Students are calling for the National Testing Agency (NTA) system to be abolished.
2. Resignation of the Union Education Minister: The strike demands the resignation of the Union Education Minister, holding them accountable for the current issues in the education sector.
3. Compensation for Recent Exam Takers: The SFI is advocating for compensation for students who recently took the NET and NEET exams, to be provided by the union government.
4. Reversal of Mandatory NET Score Requirement for PhD Admissions: The strike opposes the newly adopted system that mandates NET scores for PhD admissions.
5. Withdrawal of Centralized Entrance Tests: Students are calling for the withdrawal of attempts to replace existing admission procedures with centralized entrance tests, which they claim nurture entrance mafias.
6. End to Witch-Hunting and Suppression: The SFI demands an end to the relentless witch-hunting of student activists and the suppression of free expression and democracy in universities, highlighting issues at institutions like TISS Mumbai, IIT Bombay, and Hyderabad Central University.
7. Stop School Closures: The strike calls for a halt to the closure of schools.
The SFI urges the entire student community to join the strike and stand united in their fight for educational reforms and justice.
