Hyderabad: “I come from a farming family in Bihar. Families like mine do not encourage girls to get an education. I had to fight my way out,” says a vocational training student at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in Hyderabad.
With lots of convincing and reassurance of a better future, her family finally agreed. “My father took loans to send me here. He later sold his land to repay the debt,” she tells The Observer Post.
Since October 21, vocational students have been on an indefinite hunger strike in front of the administrative building demanding that the BVoc and MVoc degree programmes be recognised under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP).
“Pehle yeh darr laga rehtha tha ki fees kaise bharein. Ab yeh tension hai ki itna fees dene ke baavjood agar degree nahi mile tho kya hoga? Aur yeh baath administration ko sunna chahiye (Earlier, we were worried about how to pay the fees. Now, despite paying such hefty fees, we are worried about what will happen if we don’t receive our degrees. The university administration needs to listen to our concerns),” she worries.
She studies Medical Imaging Technology at the university, a four-year course. “I have two more semesters left,” she said.
Her fears are valid.
Resentment over non-recognition
The protesters expressed strong resentment over the denial of recognition despite the courses being conducted in accordance with the prescribed norms.
Student union leaders visited Delhi and met NCAHP officials to raise the issue but received no clear response, forcing them to resort to an indefinite hunger strike.
“The administration is jeopardising the career prospects and future of hundreds of students,” said one student.
They urged the central government, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Union Ministry of Education to intervene immediately.
“I fought tooth and nail to pursue my education. But I am worried this uncertainty could discourage my parents and other families from sending their daughters to school, affecting the next generation of girls,” she said.
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Source: The Siasat Daily
