SFI demands rollback of campus entry restrictions

Leaders of the Student Federation of India (SFI) on Friday demanded that the State government revoke the recent orders of the School Education Department and the Board of Intermediate Education restricting entry into schools and junior colleges to only parents and members of School Management Committees (SMCs).

Addressing a protest at Lenin Centre, SFI national president Adarsh M. Saji said the orders violated students’ freedom and democratic rights. State president P. Rammohan and secretary K. Prasanna Kumar alleged that barring leaders of student organisations from campuses was an attempt by officials to conceal existing problems in educational institutions, calling the move unacceptable. They pointed out that HRD Minister Nara Lokesh, when in the Opposition, had interacted with student leaders to learn about issues in educational institutions, but was now trying to keep them away. The SFI leaders warned that they would launch a State-wide agitation if their demand was ignored.

State vice-presidents C.H. Venkateswara Rao, L.J. Naidu and C.H. Venkatesh, assistant secretaries Bhagat Rai, and State committee members Jyothi, Pavithra and others took part in the protest.