SFI protests against National Education Policy in Kolkata

The Left-backed Students' Federation of India (SFI) took out a rally in the city on Friday to protest against the National Education Policy, alleging that it will jeopardise the present education system and inconvenience students. Around 150 activists of the CPIM's students wing from different colleges and universities marched from Subodh Mallick Square to Presidency University gate in College Street area, shouting slogans against the NEP and demanding that it be revoked forthwith.

"The new education policy will throw into disarray the present education system and inconvenience general students. It will also throw open the education sector to private players and they will make it out of the reach of the poor students who solely depend on state-run educational institutes," a state committee member of the SFI said.

The rally, where the participants also carried placards, was led by SFI state unit president Srijan Bhattacharya and other office-bearers. The Union Cabinet on July 29 approved the National Education Policy 2020, the first education policy of the 21st century and replacing the 34-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986.

"Our rally also protested this move to covertly impose learning of Sanskrit and other ancient languages which is already there in certain higher educational institutions. We are not against research and academic activities in these languages. But we see an attempt by saffron forces to thrust languages such as Sanskrit on students in every higher educational institutes in the coming days with this move," he said.