LUCKNOW, Feb. 8 -- The need for unity among students with leftist approach to raise the issues faced by the marginalised people was on Saturday emphasised during the 17th UP state conference of the Student Federation of India (SFI) held at Jawaharlal Nehru Yuva Kendra here. Speaking at the event, Prof Suraj Bahadur Thapa, faculty, Hindi department of Lucknow University, said: "In difficult times like today, there is a need that students having leftist approach come together to raise issues of the students and marginalised. "The students wings like SFI, AISA, AISF, DSF and even unions like BAPSA raising concerns of Dalit and OBC students must unite and talk about social justice, democratic principles and progressive outlook," he added. On the issues of closure of schools and UGC equity rules, All India SFI joint secretary Aishe Ghosh claimed: "It is not all of a sudden that education is dealing with several issues but it was all done in a pattern where corporate and private schools were allowed to expand like wild fire." "At the same time, when we look at the condition of universities, academic sessions are delayed. The infrastructure at public universities remains questionable," Ghosh claimed. Adarsh M Saji, SFI president, alleged that there has been a significant decline in the education budget in last few years. "The NEP 2020 speaks on the need for allocation of 6% of total GDP to education but in the recent budget the Centre's contribution was only 0.3% of the total GDP," he claimed. National general secretary, Indian People's Theatre Association, Rakesh Veda highlighted the cultural and historical significance of Lucknow in the Indian freedom struggle and remembered martyrs like Uda Devi and Begum Hazrat Mahal....