SFI is the largest student organisation in India along with more than 50 lakhs membership. Government policies over the years have been aimed at curtailing education for the masses and making it a privilege of the rich. Successive congress regimes have systemically encouraged the privatization and commercialization of education through the so-called "No-grant" principle whereby private sharks are allowed to open educational institutions without government grant- in-aid. They charge exorbitant donations and capitation fees from students and yet deny due and regular wages to teachers. With this ,the donation and capitation fee cancer has proliferated at all levels from KG to PG. This has limited the access to education and has led to decline in educational standards. It has also generated tremendous corruption and profiteering and has created a new strata of "education barons" like the equally "sugar barons" in the state. In another bid to limit the access to education, there have been massive across-the-board fee-hikes imposed on students all over state. Needless to say, all the above problems of education have been aggravated with the implementation of the elitist economic policies by the congress led central government
There is no doubt that these burning problems of students will further intensify in maharashtra in days ahead. This presents a challenge and an opportunity to the S.F.I which has to launch broad and militant struggles, united and independent agitations centering around concrete demands of the students to bring them to its fold.
