SFI opposes ‘harassment’ of student protesters, demands scrapping of NTA

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Leaders of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) staged a protest at Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada, demanding the withdrawal of the cases registered against student protesters and an end to harassment of those involved in student movements. They also demanded the abolition of the National Testing Agency (NTA), National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Expressing solidarity with the protest, Andhra Pradesh Bar Council member Sunkara Rajendra Prasad said the government should stop ‘suppressing’ students who had been protesting for reforms in the education system.

He said that students should not be branded as anti-national for raising their concerns and lawyers would extend support to the students’ movement.

SFI State secretary Prasanna Kumar alleged that the NTA’s failures had caused severe distress to lakhs of students and demanded its immediate abolition. He claimed that more than 90,000 government schools had been closed following the implementation of the NEP and that students were dropping out.

Alleging repeated failures in conducting examinations, he said agencies such as the NTA should not be entrusted with conducting examinations.

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