Latest news with #SFI
New Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Student outfits demand clarity on proposed 161 per cent of polytechnic fee hike
HYDERABAD: With the state government indicating that it plans to revise the annual fee for all diploma courses offered by private polytechnic colleges from Rs 14,900 to Rs 39,000, a whopping 161% increase, several student organisations submitted a memorandum on Wednesday, demanding clarity on the fee structure and an explanation on how the reimbursement will be done. Some polytechnic aspirants said that the government, which cited unconfirmed fees as the reason for delaying seat allotments, must provide clarity on the same. Just a day earlier, the first phase of seat allotment was conducted, in which 80,949 students had appeared, and only 28,996 seats were allotted. The government had earlier announced that full fee reimbursement would be provided only to students with ranks below 1,000, while others would need to pay Rs 24,100. This move could effectively deter economically weaker students from pursuing vocational education, yet there has been no official clarification so far. The Students' Federation of India (SFI) questioned how students could continue their education if such a steep fee hike is implemented. They argued that if the government bears approximately Rs 70 crore annually, all students could have access to education. Although a GO was issued last year proposing the fee hike, no clarity has since been given on whether the new structure will be implemented. It would be better if the state government provided clarity immediately; otherwise, the SFI is prepared to launch a statewide agitation, said S Rajnikanth, state president, SFI.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
'Home advantage' may help India secure surfing quotas for 2026 Asiad
CHENNAI: The fourth edition of the Asian Surfing Championships in Mahabalipuram on August 3 is expected to be a high-voltage affair. The event will serve as a crucial platform for countries to qualify for next year's Asian Games in Japan. Surfing Federation of India (SFI) president Arun Vasu is brimming with optimism over India's chances in the meet ending on August 12. "In the Asian rankings, we are tied with China in the fourth spot. But with home advantage, I feel we have a good chance of securing more quotas," he told this daily during the launch event. Surfing stronghold Japan was the other country to bid for the event. "We started the bid process in March this year, and we successfully pulled it off. The conditions in Mahabalipuram are similar to Aichi - Nagoya in Japan, where the Asian Games will take place. That way, the athletes will be well prepared," he explained. Around 20 countries in Asia and up to 150 athletes are expected to be part of the event. The top performing nations will earn qualification slots for the Asian Games. Countries in the top 8 will earn a slot each in the men's and women's shortboard categories. Top individuals in this category will be selected for the 2025 World Surfing Championships.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Administrative tussle continues at Kerala University; SFI holds demonstration at university headquarters
The administrative tussle at Kerala University showed no signs of abatement with Vice-Chancellor (V-C) in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal barring Registrar K.S. Anil Kumar from using his official vehicle on Tuesday. Dr. Kunnummal has issued instructions to Director (Planning and Development) Mini Dejo Kappen, who has been given additional charge of Registrar, and the security wing to implement the order. However, while similar orders had been issued earlier, the outcome of the latest order remains to be seen. The Students' Federation of India (SFI) renewed its protest against the Vice-Chancellor, a day after he accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-feeder of preventing his entry into the campus. Administrative impasse Scores of SFI activists marched to the university headquarters amid police vigil, chanting slogans against Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and the Vice-Chancellor. SFI State secretary P.S. Sanjeev, who launched the demonstration, accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of systematically infiltrating the State's universities through temporary Vice-Chancellor appointments. He also blamed Dr. Kunnummal for the administrative impasse that prevailed at the university. Amid the persisting stand-off, the university remains caught in the worrying administrative stalemate with several crucial files, including degree and equivalency certificate applications and Plan fund release requests, pending clearance. Those required to conduct PhD theses presentations and facilitate career advancements have also been stalled. The scenario has also paved the way for concerns about the potential lapse of a significant funding of ₹100 crore the university stood to receive under the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA). Calicut and Kannur Universities were chosen for similar allocations under the national scheme, which guaranteed a total funding of ₹405 crore for educational institutions in Kerala. 60:40 basis The State government had submitted proposals and presentations to secure the funding, which is supposed to be shared on a 60:40 basis between the Central and State governments. The guidelines mandated that the entire amount be utilised before March 31 for universities to remain eligible for direct funding in the future. The universities had constituted committees and commenced preliminary steps to implement the finalised projects to meet the criterion. However, the absence of Vice-Chancellor from office and the inability to convene Syndicate committees threatened to jeopardise the universities' prospects for expansion.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
SFI's UK committee opens first overseas office in Southall
The UK committee of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) on Monday (July 15) opened a full-fledged office, the outfit's maiden such office abroad, at Southall, West London, with a sizeable concentration of the Indian community. Incidentally, when the UK committee was launched at the foundation conference on June 4, 2022, it was also the first international unit of the SFI. The organisation now has a presence in 30 universities across the UK, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, with a total of 341 members at last count, with a majority of them being students from Kerala, according to the organisers. 'We have been able to create a structure under the UK committee in the last three years and have now organisation committees in six cities — London, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, and Portsmouth — while there are members from even more cities. Incidentally, a majority of our members are first-timers who did not have any previous association with the organisation when they were back home,' said Nikhil Mathew, secretary, UK committee. P.S. Sanjeev, SFI Kerala State secretary, said the UK committee opening an office was a significant development, indicating the increasing relevance of the outfit beyond. It was indeed the outfit's first major office on foreign soil, he said. He added that the organisation's UK committee primarily intervenes in the issue of racism faced by foreign students from academic and non-teaching staff alike. One of the most important interventions by the UK committee was against the mass failing of 70 students, predominantly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, at a university in Scotland, allegedly on racist grounds. Housing is another challenge that students from India are often caught unawares of, thanks to exploitation by agents. The SFI UK committee has identified this as another area for intervention to raise collective awareness about the issue among the student community. The committee is set to host Sambhaji Bhagat, a Dalit activist and revolutionary balladeer, at the University of Edinburgh later this week. 'We organise arts and sports fests and academic talks. The idea is to help Indian students remain connected to their cultural roots. We also want to help them deal with emerging problems like the change in immigration laws and increasing difficulty in finding jobs,' said Mr. Mathew, a final-year PhD student in International Development at the University of Edinburgh.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
World Championships open water swimming postponed due to poor water quality
Open water swimming at the World Championships in Singapore has been postponed because of 'water quality levels exceeding acceptable thresholds,' the governing body World Aquatics said in a statement. The women's 10-kilometre event was to have opened the program on Tuesday but was pushed back to Wednesday. It will be held the same day as the men's 10-kilometre event. Other open water events are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. ALSO READ: SFI harbours medal hopes at Asian swimming championships in Ahmedabad Open water swimming was an issue in last year's Olympics in Paris, with concerns about water quality in the Seine River. It was also an issue at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Water polo competition at the World Championships is underway at an indoor venue. The main event of the championships is eight days of swimming competition in the pool, which opens on July 27. Related Topics Swimming World Championship
