Dehradun: Concerns over the growing privatisation and commercialisation of education took centre stage at the first statewide student conclave organised by the All India Democratic Students Union in Dehradun on Monday. Hundreds of students from across Uttarakhand attended the event, which also paid tribute to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru.
Academicians and educationists at the conclave warned that policy measures under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, including the closure and merger of schools, could weaken community cohesion and social interaction. They noted that schools often function as vital social and cultural hubs, and their consolidation could adversely affect not only students but also parents, teachers and local communities.
SP Semwal, former additional director of the education department in Kumaon, said, “Reduced access to neighbourhood schools may deepen inequalities in education, particularly in hilly regions where distance and terrain already pose challenges.”
Experts also raised environmental concerns, highlighting the impact of rapid urbanisation near ecologically sensitive zones such as the Himalayas and the Western Ghats. They stressed the need for greater awareness and collective action to address environmental degradation alongside educational reforms.
“It is time that the youth of this nation collectively come out against oligarchy to ensure that the natural resources of our country remain with its people. The Kancha Gachibowli forest of Hyderabad and the Aravalli case indicate that people have now started opposing injustice and are being heard,” said Ravi Chopra, a veteran environmentalist.
Participants called for stronger public investment in education and urged students to engage actively with issues affecting both the education system and the environment.
