The National Students Union (NSU) demanded the immediate announcement of the Babasaheb Ambedkar National Research Fellowship (BANRF) by the Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI) on November 9, 2020.

Thousands of post-graduate students have suffered the absence of the fellowship in recent days. The scheme is considered crucial for the educational progress of the members of the Scheduled Caste (SC) in the state.

In a letter addressed to Minister for Social Justice & Special Assistance Dhananjay Munde, NSU President Dadarao Nangre said, “We demand the immediate announcement of the fellowship. Many promising and capable students need to get their scholarship on time to avail the opportunity to research many social justice and other social issues. However, the BARTI has not started this fellowship since 2019 which has subjected many students to educational, economic, social and mental distress.”

The Maharashtra government formed the BARTI in Pune in 1978 for the educational progress and development of SC students. Later in 2013, the institution launched the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar National Research Fellowship (BANRF) to commemorate Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s historic journey to Columbia University, New York for Higher Studies in 1913.

Only SC candidates from Maharashtra, who wish to pursue regular and full time M. Phil and Ph.D. in any subject, from Indian universities / institutions / colleges approved under the UGC and foreign universities are liable to get fellowship.

The full letter written by the organisation can be viewed below:

Related:

Ph.D. scholar and manual scavenger Sunil Yadav fights for study leave, BMC pays no heed
Ambedkar University Delhi students demand meeting with VC for fee reduction
Reading Dr. Ambedkar’s Who Were The Shudras

The post NSU demands immediate announcement of BARTI fellowship appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As was widely reported by the local media, Saloni Mishra, the Vice President of the student union of the Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU), had alleged that Pathan had threatened her with an acid attack. But Pathan says the allegations are false and are were made in the aftermath of his altercation with some Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members at the MSU on April 26.

According to Pathan, the altercation took place between Pathan’s friends and the ABVP members at 3:30 pm and the FIR was filed against him at 4:30 pm. According to the FIR that may be viewed below, Pathan and seven others are accused of offences under IPC sections 143 (Unlawful Assembly), 147 (Rioting), 149 (offence committed in prosecution of common object), 294 (KH) (Obscene acts or songs) and 506 (2) (Criminal Intimidation).

Advocate Aijaz Memon, who is representing Pathan says, “Pathan was produced before a judge on April 27, but as none of the sections attracted the requirement of custody, Pathan got bail.” But he was once again asked to present himself at the Sayagunj Police Station under section 151 (Assembly of five or more persons after being asked to disperse). Memon said, “He was told he will be produced before an Executive Magistrate but that didn’t happen. Instead two members of the Gujarat Crime Branch turned up and took Pathan away on a bike to the crime branch where they physically assaulted him, humiliated him and recorded a video where he confessed to being a goonda. He was forced to make this confession at gun-point and this video was made viral on social media.”

But when his health deteriorated severely, he was taken to the SSG Hospital and kept in the emergency ward. Speaking to media persons after being brought to the hospital on April 29, Pathan said, “It was picked up from the Sayaji Police Station by two Crime Branch men and taken into a closed room at the Crime Branch. There I was beaten and asked to produce a passport. They accused me of being a terrorist. Then they forced me at gun point to confess that I was a goonda and like harassing women.”

Now, the police have booked him afresh on charges under the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA). SG Solanki, PI Sayagunj Police Station confirmed this. “Yes, we have booked him under PASA and he has been sent to Bhuj,” said Solanki.

Memon says, “Pathan was picked up from the hospital and is now being taken to Bhuj. We will challenge the PASA charges in court because none of the sections applied against him can be considered under PASA. Also, we have asked for CCTV footage of the altercation at the MSU so that we can prove no acid attack threat was ever made. Finally, we will also apply for a lie detector test.”

The post Guj NSUI Gen Sec alleges Custodial Torture by Cops to extract False Confession appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Vadodra, Sabrang

On August 18, NSUI Gujarat unit’s state secretary Adnan Turak resigned from his post and primary membership of the organization in a move that is seen as a setback for local NSUI unit. Adnan Turak is a research scholar at the Faculty of Social Work of the MS University of Baroda and has also served as a Faculty General Secretary.

Gujarat’s  Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda is all set to elect student union for 2018-19 on August 24 and hundreds of candidates are in the fray for major posts across 14 faculties and 90 departments.
 
The Congress-affiliated, National Students’ Union of India(NSUI) has fielded their candidates for most of the union posts including Vice President(VP) and University’s General Secretary(UGS). But now, Mr Turak’s sensational resignation letter raises doubts about the entire process. 

In his open letter addressed to NSUI’s State President, Mr Turak writes, “Here in MS University of Baroda, NSUI is with BJP and Sangh ideologues.” He further claims,”Faculty General Secretary(FGS) candidates of NSUI are from BJP background and leadership of local congress politicians is  influenced by divisive ideology.” Mr Turak who has earlier been in NSUI’s national research wing further attacks local NSUI and Congress units in his open letter.

The letter may be read here:
  

His letter further says, “Congress City President and other congress workers favoured Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP) candidates in last year’s union elections. But no action was taken by National NSUI as well as State NSUI.” He points to the candidature of Rati Mehta for the post of MSUSU Vice President last year. Rati Mehta happens to be the daughter of Shailesh Mehta Sotta, BJP MLA from Dabhoi.  Shailesh Mehta is a prominent builder in Vadodara and was also in the news during the 2017 Gujarat Assembly polls for his controversial “Daadhi Topi” remark.
 
Mr Turak addresses in the letter that student groups in MSU are interested only in power and sponsorship money and don’t have any interest in student movements, activities or welfare. He concludes calling Vadodara NSUI unit- a ‘B’ team of Sangh and BJP.

When approached, Mr Turak told Sabrangindia, “Local NSUI unit doesn’t believe in the internal electoral process brought by Rahul Gandhi in 2007. Yet there is no action against them.”

Mr Turak also showed us a video in which a local NSUI leader could be seen jointly campaigning for NSUI candidates as well as ABVP candidates in a classroom.  “I think, they’re all in cahoots”, Mr Turak added.
 

The post NSUI’s Gujarat State Sect resigns, cites ideological betrayal in the organisation appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The students’ wing of the Congress – National Students Union of India, NSUI – dealt a stunning blow to the students’ wing – Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, ABVP — of the BJP/RSS, winning the top two posts of the Delhi University Students Union.  

The post of president and vice-president was bagged by the NSUI while the ABVP had to be content with the posts of secretary and joint secretary. The NSUI has won the president’s post after a gap of 5 years.

NSUI claimed it had actually won three of the top four posts and would contest the results for the joint secretary’s post in the Delhi High Court. In the outgoing students’ body, the ABVP had held three of the top four posts with the NSUI having to be content with the post of joint secretary.

Political observers attribute ABVP’s setback to its hooliganism and its bid to stifle the dissenting voice on the Delhi University campus. The All India Students Association (AISA), the students’ wing of CPI (ML) secured a significant number of votes in this election marking its arrival on the Delhi University campus.

Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Randeep Surjewala hailed the Delhi University victory as “a triumph of liberal values and wake-up call for Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.

The Congress party’s vice-president Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “Congratulations @nsui on a stellar performance & Pres win in DUSU! Thank students of DU for reposing faith in Congress ideology.”

In a statement issued after the poll results the NSUI said, “This mandate shows that students throughout the country have rejected poisonous & divisive ideology of RSS.”

In the elections to the JNU Students Union, results of which were declared a week ago, all top posts were won by candidates of Left Unity.

Meanwhile downplaying the results, the general secretary of BJP’s Delhi unit said he did not find “any political reason behind ABVP’s defeat” in the top two posts of Delhi University’s Student Union.

Welcoming the results, Prashant Bhushan of the Swaraj Party tweeted, “Kudos to DUSU for booting out ABVP goons in 3/4 seats. After losses in JNU, Guwahati Univ, Punjab Univ, it’s clear that Students rejecting ABVP.”

The new panel comprises Rocky Tuseed and Kunal Sehrawat of the NSUI as president and vice president, and the ABVP’s Mahamedhaa Nagar and Uma Shankar as secretary and joint secretary.
 

The post Big setback to ABVP, major comeback for NSUI in Delhi University polls appeared first on SabrangIndia.