Amassive demonstration erupted outside the Odisha Legislative Assembly today as members of the All India Students’ Federation (AISF) and the All India Youth Federation (AIYAF) gheraoed the complex to demand immediate reforms in the state’s education system and concrete job guarantees for the youth.
Demonstrators raised slogans against the ongoing commercialisation of education, budget cuts, and persistent unemployment across Odisha. The protesting organisations submitted a comprehensive list of key demands to the state government, including:
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Restoration of Student Union Elections: Immediate announcement of election dates to foster young political leadership.
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Education & Infrastructure Reforms: Regularisation of self-financing courses, recall of flawed textbooks, withdrawal of NEP 2020, abolition of NTA, resignation of the School and Mass Education Minister, and access to free, high-quality hostel facilities.
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Free Public Transport: Provision of free bus services for students across the state.
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Employment & Recruitment: Scrapping of outsourcing and contractual jobs, permanent recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff, revival of closed agro-based industries, and the enactment of a “Bhagat Singh National Employment Guarantee Act.”
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Social Measures: Creation of an addiction-free Odisha (“Nisha Mukta Odisha”).
Speaking at the rally, AISF State President Sanghamitra Jena and AIYAF State Secretary Kamadev Nahak criticised the government’s priorities.
“The state government continually slashes education budgets while paving the way for commercialisation. Student union elections—the nursery of future leadership—have been deliberately shut down,” stated Jena. “If taxpayers’ money can cover legislators’ mobile bills and travel allowances, why can’t the state provide free bus passes for students?”
Jena warned that if the state administration fails to address these concerns, student and youth organisations will expand their agitation to every district across Odisha.
The protest was spearheaded by AISF State Executive Members Papu Rout, Saswat Pati, Akanksha Parida, and Harshit Tirthankar, along with hundreds of student delegates from across the state.
