Patiala, September 20: The Punjab Students Union (PSU) staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Patiala against the National Education Policy (NEP), calling it an “attack on the rights of states.” Student groups from multiple colleges participated in the demonstration.
Addressing the gathering, PSU national coordinator Amandeep Singh Khiowali said, “Education is on the Concurrent List, yet state governments had no say in creating the NEP, despite contributing over 75% of the funding. We demand education be moved to the State List and that Punjab frames its own education policy.”
District secretary Gurdhian Singh criticized Punjabi University’s new curriculum template, which increased the number of subjects from five to nine. “Colleges lack sufficient teachers and resources to teach these additional courses. Many exist only on paper,” he said, demanding the cancellation of the extra subjects.
PSU district president Gurdas Singh urged the Punjab government to enact laws ensuring 90% reservation in jobs for state residents, noting that similar laws exist in other states. He also suggested a mandatory 30% score in Punjabi for government jobs to encourage greater interest in the language.
Union district leader Vakshit highlighted the financial strain caused by the university, stating that examination fees had risen by up to 100%. He warned, “We will intensify our struggle to reverse this hike.”
The PSU said that their protest was aimed at protecting students’ rights and ensuring the state retains a decisive role in shaping its education system.
