United Students

United Students start campaign to seek rationalization of transport costs for students : travel costs in a month equivalent to a year’s fees, say group members.

Group will run a campaign coinciding with its admissions mentorship programme for new admission seekers.

New Delhi , 31st May, 2007 : Members of United Students, the group that initiated the campaign against caste-based reservations last year and organized a new student’s union to fight the DUSU elections has today kicked off a campaign to highlight the abnormal costs of travel borne by University students.”When the cost of travel per month begins to equal your annual fees, you know that there is something seriously wrong at a policy level,” said Aaditya Dar, Chief Coordinator of the group.United Student volunteers will start a signature campaign to make admission-seekers aware of what their real expenses will be once they join college and secure the support of parents who will be accompanying them during the admission process.

“US members will run this campaign along with their annual campaign to help admission seekers with information, insight and assistance during the admission process,” said Dar

Ritwik Agrawal, a member and student of Hindu College said, “We have done an analysis of approximate cost of traveL to and from Delhi University for students and we find that for some students living in areas like Dwarka, just the Metro cost is a stupendous Rs. 42 per day. Add to that the auto or cycle rickshaw costs, the DTC Pass and other transfer costs and we have a monthly bill touching Rs. 3000 per month in some cases.”

Nikhita Arora, another member and student of Kirori Mal College said, “We had petitioned the DMRC Chairman to rationalize the Metro fares for students but he summarily rejected our plaint. Similarly, a letter to the Transport Minister of Delhi for augmentation of University Specials and a special shuttle service in North and South campus has gone unanswered”.

The recent indications that the DTC Pass will also cost more has got the students body up in arms. “Everywhere else in the world students are subsidized to the extent that they can move about freely – this is the only instance in the world where the transport and conveyance costs more than the fees for an education,” said Ishaan Wadhwa, a student of Venkateshwara College in South Campus.

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For more information, please contact Ritwik Agrawal on 9873554908 or at ritwik@unitedstudents.in