Protest over govt decision to privatise govt-funded higher education

New Delhi, March 28: Teachers and students of various universities on Wednesday held a march here to protest against the government decision to accord autonomy to institutions of higer education, calling it a "ruse to privatise government-funded higher education".The protesters from Delhi University, Jamia Milia, Aligarh Muslim University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University and other educational institutes, apart from politicians, marched from Mandi House to the Jantar Mantar in central Delhi. The protesters were led by leaders of DU Teachers Association and Federation of central Universities Teachers Association (FEDCUTA), who were joined by teachers from JNU. Present at the protest was Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia, who accused the central government of bringing privatisation through the back door. "This fight is our fight... this is not just a battle to save the universities and colleges. With the safety of universities and colleges lies the safety of the nation. Who will you invest in if no universities and colleges are left in the country?" Sisodia said.