The State government’s decision to hike fees for AYUSH courses has come under criticism.
While condemning the move, the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) in Mysuru said the course fee under the government quota in private colleges has been hiked from ₹60,000 to ₹75,000. The increase in fee by 25% is nothing but “anti-student attitude” of the government and denies professional education to poor meritorious students, it said in a statement here.
“For the common man who is already in a financial crisis, the move is like rubbing salt on the wound. The government should have stood with the students and realised their dreams of education in times of crisis but it yielded to the pressure and increased the fees,” alleged AIDSO District Committee in the statement.
It demanded that the State government should immediately withdraw the hike. The statement maintained that aided and unaided private AYUSH Medical Colleges had urged the government to increase the fee this year since no hike was done since last few years due to COVID-19. In this regard, the Department of Health and Family Welfare issued the order, hiking the fees, AIDSO claimed.
Board exam opposed
AIDSO also questioned the government’s decision to conduct board exams for class IX and I PU students. “It is not correct to introduce the decision in the middle of the academic year. Moreover, any decision on examination or syllabus should be taken at the beginning of the academic year. While the mid-term exams are under way, the undemocratic imposition of board exams creates pressure on the students. The government should have followed a democratic process involving teachers, parents and students before taking such decisions,” argued AIDSO district secretary Chandrakala in a separate statement here.
It has been justified that the board examination will be conducted to improve the quality of education. But, instead of increasing the quality of education, the move would result in unhealthy stress and stunts the academic progress of students, she claimed.
On one hand, the State government has decided to drop NEP 2020 altogether. On the other hand, it has announced board examinations for class IX and XI which is part of the same education policy. The move has, therefore, contradicted the government stand on NEP-2020, the statement stated.