The All India Students Association will organise the “Young India referendum” on the union government’s employment and education policies, held in more than 50 universities.
During the campaign’s initial phase, a signature drive was conducted to demand responsibility for the union government led by the BJP’s decisions regarding employment and education. In the second stage of the campaign, over fifty universities will vote on this election which is happening across India with issues related to employment and education.
From February 7 to 9, the All India Students Association (AISA) started the “Young India Referendum” campaign on the subject of education and employment at a number of universities and colleges across the nation. The programme is a component of the December 2023-launched “Young India Charter 2024” campaign.
What is Young India Referendum?
The All India Students’ Association (AISA) is currently conducting a nationwide ‘Young India Referendum’ in public and private universities across the country. This referendum aims to capture the opinions of students and youth in light of the 2024 general elections. The Referendum, which is scheduled to take place between February 7th and 9th, follows an all-India signature campaign where students and job-seekers posed ten questions to the Modi-led Central Government regarding its ten years in power. The campaign highlights the erosion of public-funded higher education institutes, attack on democratic spaces, assault on dissenting voices, inaccessibility of education, lack of dignified employment, among other concerns.
Schedule of Young India Referendum across various states of India
On February 7th (today), the Referendum was held in University of Allahabad, Veer Kunwar Singh University (Ara), Patna University, BN Mandal University (Bihar), Lalit Narayan Mithila University (Bihar), Delhi University, Jamia Milia Islamia, SK University (Andhra Pradesh), Dr. Abdul Haq Urdu University (Andhra Pradesh), Bengaluru University, Sri Krishnadevaraya University (Karnataka), Jadavpur University (Kolkata), ICFAI University (Tripura), Hemchand Yadav University (Chhattisgarh), Azim Premji University, Manipal University, among many other affiliated colleges across the nation as shared by the National President of AISA, NILASIS BOSE
All India Students Association
AISA aims to focus Young India on crucial issues such as public-funded education, fee hikes, unemployment, centralization of entrance examinations, and the dilution of education. The referendum spans over sixty universities in multiple states, which is receiving an enthusiastic and overwhelming support from the student masses.
–according to the press release shared by the National President of AISA, NILASIS BOSE
Disruption during the programme in South Campus, Delhi University
Notably, the referendum faced disruption in the south campus of Delhi University by the members of ABVP. The goons, threatened by the student participation thrashed and burnt the ballot boxes of Aryabhatta and RLA Colleges after attacking AISA activists conducting the referendum.
In the broader context, this referendum is an attempt to unite Young India in shaping the agenda for the upcoming elections. The outreach campaign and the signature campaign so far reflected that the students and youth of this country are poised to reject vacuous empty rhetoric and divisive politics, instead desiring this general election to center around concrete policies such as the right to quality education, women’s safety on campuses, and the right to employment.
–according to the press release shared by the National President of AISA, NILASIS BOSE
Young India Referendum organised by All India Students Association in Jharkhand
In Nilambar Pitambar University, Palamu, Jharkhand, students and youth can be seen actively participating towards the campaign. The thought of employment and education is raising concerns among the students and youth resulting in this campaign being held.
From Garhwal Central University in Uttarakhand to Delhi University, Calicut University in Kerala, Jadavpur University in West Bengal, Punjabi University, Tamil Nadu Central University, Azim Premji University in Bengaluru, Patna University in Bihar, Allahabad University in Bihar, Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi, HCU, SK University, and other universities, the “referendum” is being conducted.