SFI Protests Against CPI-Led Agriculture Department Over Agricultural University Fee Hike

Thiruvananthapuram: The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has initiated a protest against the Agriculture Department, led by the Communist Party of India (CPI), drawing attention to a significant fee hike at the Agricultural University. This action by the SFI comes at a time when CPI’s own youth and student wings, the All India Students Federation (AISF) and the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), are intensifying their agitations against the Education Department regarding the PM Shri scheme.

The SFI alleges that a previous assurance against any fee increase has been disregarded, prompting their current demonstration. The student organization’s state secretary and president are scheduled to lead a march to the Agricultural University today as part of the ongoing protest.

Concurrently, the AIYF’s protest demands that the Education Department and its minister reconsider their decision to sign the memorandum of understanding for the PM Shri scheme. Their grievance centers on the potential implications of this agreement.

In response to the controversies surrounding the PM Shri scheme, Minister V. Sivankutty has refuted the claims. In an article published in Deshabhimani, Minister Sivankutty clarified that the notion of being compelled to implement central government directives if the scheme is signed is baseless. He asserted that certain entities, including sections of the media and political leadership, are deliberately misinterpreting the provisions outlined in the PM Shri scheme’s memorandum of understanding. The minister further elaborated that claims of the curriculum being altered to align with central government mandates upon signing the scheme are unfounded.