The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) will launch a series of beef festivals on campuses in protest against attempts to ban beef, and cow slaughter.
At a press conference here on Wednesday, SFI president V. Sivadasan said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre that set apart funds to protect cattle cut back the budgetary allocation for the noon-meal programme for schoolchildren. The budgetary allocation for the noon-meal programme this year was Rs.9,236.40 crore less than the allocation in the previous Budget, he said.
The allocation for school education and literary activities, Dr. Sivadasan said, was also reduced from Rs.51,828 crore in the previous Budget to Rs.39,038 crore now. The public spending on secondary and higher education, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, University Grants Commission, and technical education and scientific research had also been slashed.
‘Budgetary allocation for the noon-meal programme reduced.’
