The Hindu : Student community up in arms against G.O. 94

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 08, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Student community up in arms against G.O. 94

By R.Ravikanth Reddy

HYDERABAD April 7. The controversial G.O. No. 94, that bans recruitment in the Government sector on a permanent basis in majority of posts has awakened the students and youth from their slumber and protests are slowly picking up across the State with the student and youth organisations taking to the streets.

In its "new recruitment policy and guidelines'', the Government decided to discontinue regular direct recruitment in Group III, IV and Class IV categories posts against the existing temporary vacancies.

The Government maintains that only a certain number of posts under gazetted and non-gazetted posts under the service rules of the departments concerned and Group I and II posts under the AP State and Subordinate Service Rules would be recruited. However, in future, no new posts in the non-core functional categories would be made permanent. And these instructions have come into effect from April 1, 2003.

The decision has raised the hackles of students who have been preparing for competitive examinations since a long time what with Government sources indicating that there might be some recruitment. In fact, several coaching centres had been offering coaching expecting a recruitment notice. "It has come as a shock to me and the future looks uncertain,'' says a student of Osmania University hoping to get into Government service.

``It exposes the Government's policy of dancing to the World Bank's tune,'' says T. Sagar, State secretary of the SFI, which along with 12 student and youth organisations has launched a statewide agitation. "It's a decision that will affect not just this generation but the current employees as well as future generations to come,'' says Katta Sudhakar, State secretary of the ABVP, which is working separately.

Students are expressing their anger through rallies in all parts of the State and dharnas in front of Ministers' houses and blocking of official functions. Even the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, experienced the wrath of the protesters at a meeting organised to observe Jagjivan Ram's birth anniversary celebrations.

When the protesting youth questioned him on the G.O., Mr. Naidu said he would give an explanation later and not on that stage. The mood definitely was not to the liking of the Chief Minister as the protests reminded him that no Government could function if the students took to the streets.

The Minister for Animal Husbandry, Nimmala Kistappa, too was ghearoed for a couple of hours in Anantapur while the ABVP activists staged a dharna at the Finance Minister, Y. Ramakrishnudu's house in the State capital. In fact, the universities and all the agitation points in the State are full of protesting youth.

The anger of students and youth is quite visible and they say they would take the agitation to the logical end this time. "This is a challenge to the student and youth organisations and we would face it,'' said Mr. Sagar of the SFI.

With reports coming that the District Selection Committee (DSC), held to recruit teachers, is unlikely this year the students feel all the more challenged to fight against the Government's latest recruitment policy. "We are calling for a bandh of all the Universities in the State on April 9 to protest against the G.O. and also holding a seminar to discuss the issue,'' says N. Raja Reddy, State general secretary of AISF.

What has surprised the students is the timing of the release of the G.O. The Government timed its release apparently to negate protests turning into a movement. The Intermediate and degree colleges are closed for the vacation now while the university students are busy preparing for their annual examinations, which are to start next week.

Interestingly, there was not even an iota of a hint of such a major decision coming through when the Assembly session was on. The Government knew the implications if the session was on and how the Opposition could have used the G.O. to their advantage. "Moreover, the Government thought that the decision would not gain importance in the media what with the drought conditions and the Iraq war getting prime slots," says a university teacher.

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