Student Groups Call Education Bandh Today; Exams Postponed
Schools informed parents through circulars and messages that classes would remain suspended on July 24. Many clarified that scheduled unit tests and periodic examinations would continue as per the existing timetable and advised students to utilise the day for preparation.
Hyderabad:Several schools, colleges and universities have declared a holiday on Friday in view of the bandh called by student organisations demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the abolition of the National Testing Agency (NTA), and action against those responsible for the alleged police assault on students protesting in Delhi.
Schools informed parents through circulars and messages that classes would remain suspended on July 24. Many clarified that scheduled unit tests and periodic examinations would continue as per the existing timetable and advised students to utilise the day for preparation.
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTUH) postponed examinations scheduled for Friday yin view of the bandh call. The university said both morning and afternoon examinations under all faculties have been deferred and that a revised examination schedule will be announced later.
The bandh has been called under the slogan “Save Education, Defend Democracy, Protect Students’ Rights” by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU), All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), All India Federation of Democratic Students (AIFDS), All India Students Bloc (AISB) and All India Progressive Students Union (AIPSU).
The organisations alleged that irregularities in national entrance examinations and the lathicharge on students protesting in Delhi amounted to an attack on students’ rights. They demanded the immediate resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged mismanagement of national examinations, the scrapping of the NTA, disciplinary action against those responsible for the alleged police excesses, and protection of students’ democratic right to hold peaceful protests.
NSUI Telangana urged educational institutions, students and youth across the state to participate in the bandh. Sunny Emmanuel, NSUI JNTUH president, told Deccan Chronicle, “Education is a basic right, not a privilege,” and appealed to the teaching community to support the protest in defence of students’ rights and the future of education.
