The activists of Student Federation of India (SFI) on Wednesday staged a protest at the entrance of the SRR Government Junior College, demanding that the proposal to convert the government junior (co-ed) college into a Mahila Junior College be dropped.
The SFI leaders argued that the government’s decisions were detrimental to the interests of the students from the economically backward sections. The G.O. No. 85 envisaging conversion of the college into a women’s college be repealed.
The federation’s NTR district president M. Someswara Rao and secretary C.H. Venkateswara Rao said that through the G.O. No. 85, the government wanted to convert 25 government junior colleges in the State into women’s colleges.
“More than 2,000 students belonging to the SCs, STs, BCs and Minority sections are studying in the SRR and CVR Government Junior College. Implementation of the G.O. will deprive them of education,” said Mr. Someswara Rao.
Established in 1937, the college had catered to the needs of thousands of students from in and around Vijayawada, said Mr. Venkateswara Rao and demanded that the institution be allowed to continue as a co-ed college.
The SFI leaders said the admission records in last three years showed that boys outnumbered girls in the college. They said that the authorities should recognise the need to continue this college in its present form, and if the need was dire for a Mahila Junior college, it could be established at some other place in the city.
They said if their plea was not heeded by the authorities concerned, they would be forced to intensify protest by involving the students of the college and their parents.
SFI city unit leaders Manmadha, Sushma, Shiny, Abhishek, Bhargav and others participated in the protest.
