SFI demands increase of seats

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, June 9: The Assam unit of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) today expressing concern over the shortage of seats in government colleges in the state demanded the state government to take steps for enhancing seats in the colleges.   The president of the SFI’s Assam unit Kashyap Choudhury in a statement said that to increase the seats, the government must improve the infrastructure of the colleges and should appoint new teachers.  The SFI said the state higher education department had not taken any steps to increase seats despite repeated demands. “According to our information, a total of 2.40 lakh students passed the high school and high madrassa examition this year whereas there are only two lakh seats in government institutes offering higher secondary courses,” Choudhury said. Similarly, while 1, 97 lakh students passed the higher secondary examition this year, there are only about 1.20 lakh seats in government colleges in the state.  The SFI also criticised the education department’s failure to stop colleges from hiking fees indiscrimitely. “Fees in our colleges have been increased by Rs 500 to Rs 1200 in the past year. Different colleges are collecting different fees from the same courses.  We demand a uniform fees structure in colleges offering the same course,” Choudhury said.