The students who launched the protest against UGC’s decision to scrap Non-Net fellowship has recently marched from UGC head office in Delhi to the Human Resource Development Ministry's office.
Hundreds of students participated in the march and gathered outside the office of HRD ministry "demanding the continuation of the fellowships, its enhancement without any conditions of merit or other such criteria and extension of the fellowship to all state universities," said a protesting student to the media.
Yogendra Yadav, former AAP member also joined students in solidarity with the protesting students. Meanwhile, the students' wing of AAP, CYSS, AISA and DUTA also expressed their solidarity with the students. Few days back, Yadav spent a night with the students outside UGC headquarters under their agitation slogan 'Occupy UGC' inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011. "I stand in solidarity with protesting students at UGC HQ. I shall stay with them tonight on dharna," said Yadav.
The protest against UGC has entered its 17th day today and has become a pan-India movement as students from Hyderabad, Allahabad and Bihar have also started protesting against the decision in solidarity with the students in Delhi.