Students Islamic Organization Releases Students Manifesto-Lok Sabha Election 2019
Mangaluru : Addressing the media persons during a press meet held at Mangaluru Press Club, Br Rizwan Azhari-District President of SIO, DK said, ” Today students and youths are engulfed in various problems across the country. Due to the negligence of government and educational institutions in solving these problems, the future looks uncertain for the generations to come. It is in this milieu students Islamic organization of India, as a responsible student organization has decided to come up with the student election manifesto in preposition to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Instead of deciding the future of our country based on the lines of caste, religion and language as usual, the Political parties need to address and solve the everyday problems faced by the students and youth of this country. “
He further said, “It is high time the students and youths problems are discussed in the mainstream politics, to strengthen the democratic system and to ensure active participation of students and youth in civic process, we present 50 demands and recommendations from national, state and district on various issues like education, employment, environment, human rights and social justice in this student election manifesto. In the field of education our primary demand is to increase the expenditure on education to 8% of GDP as recommended by various Education commissions. RTE act should be expanded from the age of birth to the age 18. As per Supreme Court guidelines students union election should be conducted in all universities and colleges”.
Br Santhosh-Research Scholar, Mangalore University and President of Ambedkar Phule Students Association (APSA) said, “District Higher education survey should be conducted on dropouts, lower number of graduates and educationally backward areas and on basis of this survey necessary policies and government funding should be provided to address these problems. Government medical college and government law college should be established. As employment is the currently the main discussion in our society, the government must guarantee 100% employment along with certificate and stipend during the period of training for those undergoing skill development training under central governments Skill India scheme. All the vacancies in government posts and public services must be filled. They must ensure appointments in all the vacant government posts within the next six months”.
Also speaking during the press meet, Br Yaseen Kodibengre-State Secretary of SIO, Karnataka said, “Systematically today the people are being deceived with regard to Human rights and social justice. To bring these oppressed communities into mainstream of society, the manifesto discusses certain points such as to give reservations to socially marginalized sections such as SCs, STs and religious minorities as recommended by Justice Sachar committee and post – Sachar evolution committee report. Reservations should also be extended to premiere educational institutions such as IITs, IIMs, Central Universities, etc. As per Justice Ranganath Misra commission, 10% reservation must be given in public services and in educational institutions, for students as well as teachers belonging to religious minorities”.
Br Yaseen further said, “Institutions made for protection of human rights should be strengthened by appointing credible people to their posts and providing them the necessary funds and infrastructure. Along with these concerns, the protection of environment should also be the main priority among masses. As a prime discussion in the manifesto we talk about various ways to protect environment. A national level policy for phased shift to decentralized and renewable energy over the next decade is should be implemented. To ensure effective waste management in cities and to segregate waste biodegradable bags have to be distributed to households in municipalities. Alternating ways of storing water such as sub surface dams and coastal reservoirs have to be implemented”.
Ms Thabasuum- District president of GIO also spoke on the occasion. Br Safwan Sathar-Campus Secretary, and Muhammad Irshad Venur- Media PRO were also present during the press meet.
STUDENTS MANIFESTO-LOK SABHA ELECTION 2019 IN DETAIL :
Today the student community and youth are facing numerous problems all over the country. Neither the Government nor the educational institutions are trying to solve these problems. In this regard Students Islamic Organization (SIO) of India, Karnataka has decided to release Students Election Manifesto so that Political parties will respond to these problems. This manifesto discusses the major Issues related to the students and youth in Education, employment, social justice, human rights and Environment. It includes demands and recommendations for a sustainable growth in respective fields in the state of Karnataka.
EDUCATION :
Primary Education:
As per recommendations by various Education Commissions the expenditure on education needs to be increased to 8% of GDP to train its vast human resource to be competitive with rest of developing world and to rectify earlier injustices in educational expenditures; To address various issues and to turn Right To Education Act (2009) into a reality, a standing joint-party committee(JPC) must be constituted in the parliament to oversee and monitor effective implementation of RTE Act(2009), including accountability of its funds and finances; RTE act should be expanded from the age of birth to age 18 to ensure all children get early childhood education and to encourage sensual, cognitive and sensory development in early age including health and nutrition care, qualitative – equal education in mother tongue or provincial language should be given in neighborhood schools for preliminary opportunities and sustainable development of children.
To improve the enrollment rate as well as prevent dropout of students, proper survey has to be conducted. The government must adhere to strict implementation of RTE Act (2009) to eradicate child labour, thus also implementing Child labour (Prohibition and regulation) Amendment Act,2016 effectively; In every villages and taluk offices a child welfare officer has to be appointed to strengthen Child Helpline; Strict implementation of anti – tobacco and drug abuse law and Strict vigilance of Selling of tobacco, liquor, drugs near school is required. The tobacco free zone has to be increased to 200 meters of school vicinity.
HIGHER EDUCATION :
Issues related to the scholarships/fellowships/grants/schemes offered by under various schemes by the union and state governments have to be addressed. In this era of rocket inflation, the government should at the very least double the current amount given under these various schemes. All the Universities should commence BA in Arabic and Islamic studies courses. Qualification certificates from Madrasas must be recognized as valid eligibility or six month bridge course has to be introduced for madrasa students to join these courses. MA courses must be commenced as a follow up for these courses. Arabic and Islamic studies chair has to be opened in all the universities. The financial assistance to secure Higher Education should not become a burden on the new and aspiring graduates, hindering progress of their careers and life by imposing a heavy premium on it. Hence the union and state government should waive all outstanding education loans as well as convert all educational loans to educational grants or scholarships in future.
Free health insurance for students of all levels should be provided by the relevant state authority with the provisions to convert the health insurance to general health insurance post student hood; To facilitate access to educational institutions, free transportation facility should be provided to students of all levels in the form of free train/bus passes; Special tribunals for education – related disputes must be constituted regionally to ensure prompt and swift disposal of disputes and cases; Instances of corruptions and exploitation in education field are on the rise. There is an urgent need to address the issue of corruption and nip it in the bud. A dedicated vigilance bureau should be set up to deal with corruption and irregularities in the educational field and ensure public accountability and transparency.
The concept of a school for every village has to be introduced in rural areas in the state; As per Supreme Court guidelines Students Union Election should be conducted in all universities and colleges; District Higher education survey should be conducted on parameters of dropouts, lower number of graduates and educationally backward areas and on the basis of this survey necessary policies and government funding should be provided to address these problems; Government Medical college and government Law college should be established in the district; Mangalore University Off – campus should be established at educationally backward Taluks of District and Women’s Government Degree College with hostel facility should be established at Kadaba.
There is an alarming increase in the students suicide cases nowadays. To prevent suicide in early stages of depression Mental Health Education Department similar to NIMHANS should be established at Wenlock Hospital and a helpline at all the institutions must be made be available through this counseling center; To prevent harassment to girl students in institutions VC must ensure disquisition of present system and an effective grievance cell under guidelines of UGC must be established in all colleges. A separate Committee at University level must be established to overview all the cases of harassment in colleges and ensure the guilty undergoes trial without any outside pressure.
EMPLOYMENT :
The selection process for government and public sector jobs should be made transparent, fair, and efficient. The process of recruitment, from notification of post to the actual appointment and joining of the selected candidate, must be completed in a time bound manner; Skill development and vocational training centers should be set up on a mass scale in an effective, transparent and accessible manner so that their benefits can be availed by those most in need of them; Entrepreneurship and the setting up of SMEs should be encouraged by making the necessary financing and infrastructure easily accessible. Special care must be taken to ensure that the benefits of schemes and policies to encourage entrepreneurship are not limited to only a particular class of people; Extension and expansion of MNREGS to guarantee to every adult at least 150 days of work a year at minimum wages; and expand the employment guarantee programme to provide 150 days work to all adults in rural and urban areas, at minimum daily wage(by category according to state)
To encourage entrepreneurship the centre should reserve 5% of the total bank deposits for encouraging entrepreneurship. Government should be the guarantor for 5 years to the interest free loans to all the young entrepreneurs. Through new industrial policy, Encouragement should be given to micro and small industries; 100% employment guarantee along with certificate and stipend during the period of training for those undergoing skill development training under central governments Skill India scheme; Create Taluk – level job creation centers that employ local people to identify employment opportunities and to systematically to promote employment; State should have a policy to consider agriculture as an industrial job – creating sector, not as an obsolete, outdated one. Agriculture sector should be treated at par with the industrial sector, by providing the capital investment, training, innovation and providing basic infrastructure. All the vacancies in government posts and public services must be filled. They must ensure appointments in all the vacant government posts within the next six months.
SOCIAL JUSTICE :
Reservations must be given to socially marginalized sections such as SCs, STs, and religious minorities as recommended by Justice Sachar committee and post – Sachar evolution committee report. Reservations should also be extended to premiere educational institutions such as IITs, IIMs, central universities, etc; As per Justice Ranganath Misra Commission. 10% Reservation must be given in public services and in educational institutions, for students as well as teachers belonging to religious minorities; To address accessibility parity between different regions of the nation, SIO demands that educational institutions of significance such as central universities /IITs/IIMs, etc be equally distributed geographically such that every region of the nation has equal access.
In this regard new central universities can be converted to central university or centers of existing central universities can be established with the view of converting them to central university at a later date; Special attention is to be given to minority concentrated districts (MCDs) which are educationally backward such as Bidar. Off – campus centers of minority universities, such as Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), should be established in such MCDs to give accessibility for Higher Education; Article 371(J) should be comprehensively implemented in order to ensure the overall development of HK region.
HUMAN RIGHTS :
Institutions made for protection of human rights (NHRC, SC/ST commission, NCW, NCM etc) should be strengthened by appointing credible people to their posts and providing them the necessary funds and infrastructure; A comprehensive law should be enacted for the prevention of discrimination against religious minorities in employment, education, housing and other public utilities and for the prevention and punishment of all kinds of harassment and violence on the basis of religious identity; A comprehensive scheme must be developed for the rehabilitation of those innocent citizens who were falsely accused in terrorism cases and subsequently acquitted. Further, the innocent people must be adequately compensated for the duration of their incarceration.
To protect Democratic liberties doing away with outdated and draconian laws such as Section 124A (sedition) of Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the National Security Act and amendments to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Foreign Contributions Regulation Act as well as the existing laws on blasphemy and criminal contempt of legislature and judiciary is needed; Section 197 of the CRPC must be scrapped to allow for the filing of cases against police officers who commit torture, concoct false cases against innocents and carry out other excesses in abuse of law; The process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam must be carried out in a fair and transparent manner.
Every person must be given adequate opportunities to prove their citizenship, and no citizen should be left out merely because of a procedural lapse or bureaucratic oversight. The government must also lay down a clear a plan for those who are eventually left out of the NRC, ensuring that no person is left stateless and without rights which are ensured under the constitution and the mandate of international law; State authority must provide safety assurance to foreign students and other state students who come to the state for study purposes and to provide proper legal assistance at police commissioner range with separate help desk and a helpline should be established.
ENVIRONMENT :
An independent and empowered Environment Commission should lay down environmental standards and regulations and ensure their compliance; An autonomous agency must be constituted to conserve and protect the rivers, increase the number of air quality monitoring stations in highly polluted areas; A National level policy for phased shift to decentralized and renewable energy over the next decade; To promote solar power, the state should increase the subsidy to 50% from present 30%; To ensure effective waste management in cities and to segregate waste biodegradable bags have to be distributed to households in municipalities. The state should promote water literacy and implement water recharging programs to address water scarcity issue. State should ensure that drought resistant knowledge is disseminated through local knowledge and skills.
State should envision by 2050 to meet all of its power demand from clean, renewable and zero emission energy sources to make sweeping changes to the environment and economy so that economic growth and environment go together; State should attempt to replenish waters of dried up lakes. Alternative ways of storing water such as sub surface dams, coastal reservoirs have to be implemented in the state.Environmental flow assessment of rivers has to be implemented to maintain its ecological integrity, to sustain freshwater and to maintain itself in a desired environmental condition; To prevent pollution of water resources, proper maintenance and awareness among masses in residential and industrial areas of cities regarding the storm water drains and rajakaluves must be undertaken.
