SFI opposes growing academic corruption and increasing financial burden on students in Himachal
The SFI Himachal Pradesh State Committee opposes the fee hike proposal brought by Himachal Pradesh University administration and the state government. SFI believes that the state government and Himachal Pradesh University administration are going to increase fees in the university and state colleges citing financial burden. Addressing this issue, State President Anil Thakur says that the fee hike proposal is detrimental to student interests. He states that the Himachal Pradesh University administration is misusing the university’s financial resources, and students are bearing the consequences.
Speaking to the media, he said that around 186 professors have been appointed in Himachal Pradesh University without any qualifications. These appointments were made bypassing eligibility criteria, due to which the university is now bearing a financial burden for their services. Furthermore, the State President said that the university has become an arena of irregularities. As a result, Himachal Pradesh University is facing a financial crisis today. He added that the university has neither hostel facilities for students nor any bus arrangement. Due to the lack of its own buses, the university has to pay exorbitant rent to HRTC every month – an amount that could buy new buses for the university in just a few months.
He said that under the guise of resource mobilisation, the university administration is unable to generate financial resources; instead, the state government and university administration are planning to raise fees. He further stated that in the name of “exam revolution”, the university administration is playing with students’ futures, and answer sheets are being checked at expensive rates. Moreover, professors deployed as exam invigilators are being given additional fees on top of their salaries by the university administration – a cost that falls on the students as well. In addition, students are failed in exams and then passed in re-evaluation, leading to manifold fee collection from them – which has now been increased by 75%. The State President believes that the university has colluded with a company to facilitate this practice.
On all these issues, the State President stated that SFI opposes these anti-student decisions of the state government and the university administration, and warns both that if such anti-student decisions are not withdrawn, SFI will mobilise students across the state and launch an agitation against this corruption. The Himachal Pradesh state government and Himachal Pradesh University administration will be held responsible for the consequences.
