ON June 16, 2025, the state convention of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Uttar Pradesh, concluded in Lucknow. The convention was held to protest the continuous reduction in scholarships from the high school level to Ph.D. studies. Adarsh M Saji, all India joint secretary of SFI, attended as an observer.

The convention was held in two sessions.

Addressing the open session, Adarsh M Saji stated that the current government has been consistently cutting the education budget each year, leading to a shortage of basic facilities in schools. He further said that by promoting privatisation in education, the government is making education increasingly expensive, thereby systematically excluding students from marginalised and working-class backgrounds from accessing educational institutions.

On this occasion, SFI state president Prabudh Singh remarked that the government is not only reducing the education budget and increasing fees to keep common students out of the education system, but it is also slashing the scholarship budget. This, he asserted, clearly reveals the government's intent to build an exclusionary education framework.

In the delegates' session that followed, SFI state secretary Vivek Vikram Singh presented the organisational report, offering a detailed overview of SFI’s work in the state. Two key resolutions were also passed: opposing corruption and irregularities in the scholarship and fee reimbursement process; and supporting the recruitment of permanent teachers and solidarity with the protesting D.El.Ed candidates.

Following this, the state committee elected new office bearers. Parthsarathi Dwivedi was elected president, and Abdul Wahab was elected secretary of the Uttar Pradesh state committee of SFI.

A total of 43 delegates from 7 districts participated in the convention.