Hunger strike by IITians continued fourth day today

Kanpur, May 31 (UNI) The chain hunger strike by students of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here in protest against the OBC quota, continued for the fourth day today.

A spokesman of the Forum of Indians against Reservation (FIR) told reporters this evening that there was mass support for their hunger strike from students, teachers, traders and bank staff.

Replying to a question, he said though there was no restriction on the students seeking support of political parties, it was an established fact that all the political parties were maintaining silence as they might lose their vote banks if they supported the agitation.

The students who were sitting on the hunger strike in batches of ten, again turned down the idea of increasing the seats in the higher education saying that the University Grants Commission (UGC) had accepted that at least forty per cent posts, including those for teaching staff, are vacant, and there is no sufficient infrastructure for research work.

The government must create these facilities before increasing the seats, he said, adding that by increasing the crowd, the standard of such reputed institutions would only decrease.

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