Hyderabad: SIO-Telangana releases student manifesto ahead of Assembly polls

Hyderabad : The Students’ Islamic Organisation (SIO)-Telangana has released a student manifesto ahead of the Assembly elections. The manifesto highlights issues like education, employment and youth. The SIO has been fighting for equity, access and quality in education, specially advancement of minorities and backward classes.

Releasing the manifesto, SIO members expressed concern over the critical educational situation in the State. The education budget is continuously decreasing due to which educational institutions are in a precarious state. “The SIO demands the government should allocate 30 per cent of budget for education as per the recommendations of the Kothari Commission,” said SIO secretary Abdul Rahman.

The manifesto also discusses issue of minority scholarships. Many students are unable to get certificates from educational institutions due to non-release of scholarships and are forced to pay fee on loans. The SIO demands the government should immediately pay the arrears and make scholarship process better. It raises ‘injustice’ done to DSC Urdu medium students. It demands the government to de-reserve the posts to fill vacant seats and fill all Urdu medium seats in DSC-2023.

The SIO talks about future of the TMREIS. It demands the government to allocate budget to secure future of TMREIS by making its budget a ‘sub-plan’ instead of a minority budget and construct its buildings on Wakf lands.

The manifesto demands privacy of individuals, whether digital or otherwise, must be protected. No State authority must be given jurisdiction to monitor, collect or share information relating to private citizens without legally valid cause and due process of law. It mentions the problem of abandoned properties in the State educational institutions. It demands all the abandoned properties be filled immediately.

The manifesto also discusses student politics in State universities. It says student politics in varsities has been closed for a long time due to lack of youth leadership. The manifesto demands the government to immediately restore student elections in accordance with the recommendations of the Lyngdu Commission.