SFI to protest Viksit Bharat Edn bill

The Student Federation of India (SFI) is organising a nationwide protest against the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, alleging that the legislation threatens public education, undermines democratic space for students and teachers, and pushes India’s higher education system towards excessive centralisation.

As part of the national call, a protest will be held on December 20 at the Arts College, Osmania University campus in Hyderabad. The SFI Central Executive Committee has mobilised students across the country to oppose the Bill, passed on December 15, 2025, which it describes as a fundamental restructuring of higher education that concentrates power in the hands of the central government. The protest aims to raise awareness among students who believe education must remain accessible, democratic and rooted in the public domain, with autonomy for local universities. SFI leaders said the agitation also seeks to alert students and teachers to the Bill’s long-term consequences.

According to SFI, the Bill weakens the foundations of public education by curtailing institutional autonomy and limiting democratic participation in academic decision-making. The organisation says its opposition centres on what it terms the three dangers of centralisation, commercialisation and communalisation.

SFI argues that excessive centralisation will strip universities of their independence, with key academic decisions being taken from New Delhi rather than locally. It fears that the freedom to design courses, appoint faculty and shape academic policy will be undermined.

The federation has also raised concerns about commercialisation, warning that corporate influence could turn education into a business, making higher education unaffordable for many. Additionally, it alleges that the Bill could encourage ideological influence over curricula, which it claims would weaken public universities.

SFI has further opposed the Bill’s emphasis on digital monitoring, arguing that it would increase surveillance and control, eroding academic freedom. Rejecting the government’s assurances, SFI said it would continue nationwide protests to defend public education and democratic rights.