Why the ABVP has called for a Telangana education bandh

Student organisation Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) called for a statewide bandh in schools across Telangana on Monday, June 26, demanding the implementation of basic amenities in state-run schools and an end to the state government’s alleged tendency to favour private school education. The organisation has also alleged that the government wasn’t keen on regulating fees or implementing the Mana Ooru Mana Badi (Our town, our school) scheme, which aims at creating usable and effective infrastructure including digital classrooms across all schools in Telangana. 

Protesting outside the Karimnagar District Education Office, ABVP state secretary Chintakayala Jahnsi said that the ABVP wanted basic facilities to be implemented across Telangana government schools, and strict action to be taken against corporate powers in education. “Even though it has been 10 years since the formation of Telangana, the state government is still being unfair towards poor students. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had remarked before state formation that if he ever came to power, he would banish corporate education and patronise state run schools. We demand that he lives up to his word,” she said.

The ABVP further alleged that these corporate establishments were demanding expensive fees from students and the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) had turned a blind eye to it as they were receiving funding from the corporates. They further took issue with the various cases of food poisoning in state-run institutions across Telangana. Leaders of the party also demanded recruitment to the District Selection Committee (DSC) and Mandal Education Officer (MEO) posts.

ABVP has also protested against fee hike in the past and been a vocal critic of the Telangana government’s Mana Ooru Mana Badi programme.