Protests Erupt in Jammu for Inclusion of Regional Languages in Job Listings

ABVP workers protested on Jammu's Tawi Bridge, demanding Dogri and other regional languages be included in job applications, arguing their centrality to the local identity. The protest followed job listings excluding these languages, prompting student outcries. ABVP also outlined educational reform demands in a UGC memorandum.

In a bold move, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists and students took to the streets in Jammu, staging a protest on the Tawi Bridge. Their demands focused on the incorporation of Dogri and other regional languages into the list for government job listings, emphasizing their significance to the cultural identity of the region.

The demonstration emerged in response to new job vacancies that overlooked Dogri, opting instead for languages like Urdu and Persian. A protesting student highlighted the exclusion, stating, "There are no posts for key languages like Hindi and Sanskrit. Despite submitting a memorandum earlier, our demands were unmet, forcing us into protest. Dogri, among other regional languages, deserves rightful inclusion."

During the protest, there were reports of police lathi charges on students, with ABVP members holding placards reading, "Videshi ka virodh, Swadeshi ka samman" (Opposition to foreign, respect for Indigenous).

Earlier that week, an ABVP delegation presented a memorandum to UGC Chairman, Professor M. Jagadesh Kumar, calling for educational reforms. Key demands included a centralized Common University Entrance Test (CUET), expansion of fellowships, and control over escalating application fees. Additionally, the ABVP highlighted commercialization issues and called for proper regulation in private universities.

ABVP pressed for legislation against fee hikes and financial autonomy misuse in universities, advocating for student union elections through a National Students' Union Act. The UGC pledged to act fast on these requests, affirming that they are aligned with student interests.

The Commission committed to enhancing post-doctoral fellowship distribution, simplifying processes, and fortifying the CUET system for a unified admission protocol, as indicated in the official response. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)