BENGALURU: Following the proposal of the education department and directives to Bengaluru City University to make Ramnarayan Chellaram College of Commerce and Management and Government Arts and Science college as constituent colleges of the university, students along with the members of All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) protested at Freedom Park on Friday.
Addressing the students, Subhash Bettadakoppa, treasurer, AIDSO Karnataka, said, “Both the state government and the education minister should immediately give up on this decision. Just 6 months ago, due to our movement, the decision to convert them into constituent colleges was withdrawn. But now, taking up this decision again after announcing the exams is like stabbing the students’ back.”
Citing the example of Yuvaraja College in Mysuru, he said when it was made a constituent college under Mysuru University, its fee increased to Rs 12,000 and Rs 38,000. “Whereas the fee in other government colleges in Mysuru is Rs 3,000. This is another scheme to rob the poor students, and the government should be ashamed of this. This decision must be withdrawn immediately, or else students will have to intensify the protest.”
Nawaz, secretariat member of AIDSO Bengaluru District Committee, said, “Students struggled without guest lecturers, classes were not conducted for two months, and now when the exams are announced, this sudden decision of making RC College and Govt Arts College into constituent colleges is highly undemocratic and condemnable. These being government colleges, children of farmers and labourers come to study here. So many students go for part-time jobs to pay their college fees. In such a situation, converting them into constituent colleges is intolerable as the fee for every course will be increased.”