(Lucknow) | Students and Youth are an integral part of the society. In this confronting era, students are having plethora of hindrances, which will have an inadequate consequence. With the Assembly elections due in Uttar Pradesh in the coming months. The Students Islamic Organisation of India, released its manifesto at UP Press Club, Lucknow, which underscores the demands and issues of the student community. The objective of students and youth has been embodied in its agenda.

The Manifesto is a result of extensive studies around pertinent issues and consultations with students and youth across the society. It contains several demands and recommendations.

The manifesto was released by the National Secretary of the organisation, Tahoor Anwar on December 20. He stated that, we hope that all political parties will respond positively to our request and will keep our demands in centre while preparing their manifesto. He continued by saying, the demands we have in this manifesto are mainly concerned with education, post pandemic relief packages, employment and other youth affairs, health and welfare, human rights, technology, environment, literature, culture and diversity. We hope that this ideological thinking procedure will become an example of vibrant democratic process mechanism and will ensure that the concerns of students especially education is an important challenge that will be incorporated including affairs of employment and human rights should also become the centre of discussion in the coming election.

The foremost demands are given here:

1. According to the need of the society and recommendations of various education commissions, the GDP should be increased up to 8% for the education expenditure.
2. There should be a reservation of 10% seats in the medical colleges of the state for the students of government schools and government aided schools.
3. At present there is no state or central university in Sambhal district, due to which students are forced to migrate for higher studies. We demand the establishment of a University in Sambhal district.
4. NCMEI has awarded minority status to Muhammad Ali Jauhar University, Rampur. It should be avoided by all political attacks and action should be taken keeping in mind the interest of the students.
5. All Universities in the state should have departments of Urdu, Arabic and Islamic Studies and sufficient seats for respective fields.
6. Madrasa education should be recognized as a valid undergraduate degree and master programs should be started according to its syllabi.
7. The proposal of Justice Ranganath Mishra commission should be evoked.
8. In order to promote democratic values and principles among the students, the students’ union elections should be re-stored in all colleges and universities.
9. The basic structure of the schools needs improvements. The proper arrangements of computer labs, smart classrooms, and libraries should be ensured in government schools.
10. Ad-hoc appointments must be curtailed so that permanent appointments to relevant vacancies could be ensured such that no position of permanent appointment is vacant for more than a period of one academic year.
11. The state must introduce a step-wise liquor ban policy, simultaneously de-addiction centres should also be started.
12. Government should setup a commission under the guidance of a sitting high court judge to review the mishandling of the epidemic and the number of actual deaths happened in COVID second wave.
13. Implement Rohit Act to prevent cast-based discrimination in the educational institutions.

Prof. Ayaz Ahmad Islahi (Lucknow University), Zubair Malik Falahi, Tahoor Anwar (National Secretary, SIO), Rafey Islam (President, SIO UP Central), Nadeem Khan (President, SIO UP West), Ahmad Wasif (President, SIO UP East) and Mohammad Zaid (President, SIO AMU) were present in the programme.