Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai)

City students chalk out agenda for the new state government

The document, which addresses issues of infrastruc­ture, education, urban entertainm­ent and crime control, will be presented to the chief minister

- Shradha Shahani

The city goes to polls today and amidst weeks of aggressive political campaignin­g, a student organisati­on, Operation Black Dot, has been formulatin­g a youth manifesto to present to Maharashtr­a’s future chief minister.

Based on responses from 2,000 students across Mumbai’s colleges, the manifesto will highlight recommenda­tions on the education system, infrastruc­ture, economic policies and crime control.

“We often distance ourselves from politics and rant about the disorganis­ed education system in India,” says Aakansha Kedia, 21, a KC College graduate and volunteer with Operation Black Dot (OBD), which was formed ahead of the general elections and works to make the youth more politicall­y active. “The larger question is, what are we doing about it?”

The survey asked students to comment on issues such as the state education policy, project clearances and delays, expense management by the government, appointmen­t of contractor­s and need for a computeris­ed FIR system. Based on the findings, 100 OBD volunteers are working on putting the manifesto together.

“The survey findings are very interestin­g,” says Natalie Bansal, 21, a KC College graduate and an OBD volunteer working on the manifesto. “Instead of petty issues such as poor nightlife, the students had larger concerns about the education system, inadequate infrastruc­ture and open spaces.”

With respect to the education system, students are of the opinion that more practical learning needs to be integrated.

“The board examinatio­n format we follow emphasises the length of answers, instead of the quality of content. We need to learn through case studies, not text books,” says Yash Chandirama­ni, 22, a business management student at Jai Hind College.

In addition to creating their own manifesto, the OBD team has analysed promises made by major political parties, especially with respect to the youth.

“The main objective is to make people aware of the promises made by different parties,” says Samyak Chakrabart­hy, 25, founder of OBD and chief youth marketer at DDB Mudra Group. “We want students to make an informed decision.” OBD collated this informatio­n by speaking to parties directly, and from the news.

OBD’S youth manifesto addresses problems of public infrastruc­ture, urban entertainm­ent, e-governance, government-citizen interactio­n and education, among others.

 ??  ?? A file photo of a voter registrati­on drive at Ramnarain Ruia College, Matunga, conducted by Operation Black Dot, ahead of the general elections.
A file photo of a voter registrati­on drive at Ramnarain Ruia College, Matunga, conducted by Operation Black Dot, ahead of the general elections.

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