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The Occupy UGC organisers are expanding their scope of protest, from demanding reinstatement of non-NET fellowship for researchers to withdrawal of the offer made to WTO-GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) in higher education.

The organisers argue that the education subsidies will dry up if government persists with its commitment to open higher education to trade.

Student leaders of the Occupy UGC movement are busy mobilising support against the government’s move.

“A national camp is scheduled for December 8, where we will discuss the future strategy. AISA leaders are already mobilising support from universities across the country. We are expecting the numbers to swell to 10-12,000,” AISA member Sunny Kumar said.

The camp is being organised a week before the WTO ministerial conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Organisations such as All India Students’ Association, Democratic Students Federation (DSF) and All India Forum for Right to Education (AIF-RTE) believe that the Centre’s “neo-liberal” policies could lead to higher tuition fee public-funded institutions.

“AISA State Secretary and former JNUSU President Ashutosh is in BHU, JNUSU vice president Shehla Rashid is in Allahabad, AISA national president is in Jadavpur University and AISA member Mohit visiting universities in Hyderabad, all are meeting the local student unions,” Sunny said.

The majority participation however, is expected from universities in Delhi.
“Right now we are gathering support everywhere. Recently, we organised a padyatra in Jamia Nagar, where students from Jamia Millia Islamia participated. And on Sunday, we held a meeting in Connaught Place,” the AISA leader said.

The Occupy UGC protesters have been camping outside the University Grants Commission headquarters in the capital for last 28 days, rejecting the HRD ministry’s promise that there is no move to nix the non-NET fellowships for MPhil and PhD students.

DSF said it will conduct its both online and offline survey to take stock of students’ family income and circumstances towards a “students’ report on fellowship.”