National Students' Union of India facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Students' Union of India

NSUI Logo
Abbreviation	NSUI
Formation	9 April 1971; 54 years ago (1971-04-09)
Type	Student wing
Legal status	Active
Headquarters	5, Raisina Road, New Delhi
Membership	5.5 million
Chairperson	Mallikarjun Kharge
President	Varun Choudhary
AICC Incharge	Kanhaiya Kumar
National Media Chairman	Ravi Pandey

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) is a group for students connected to the Indian National Congress political party. It was started on April 9, 1971, by Indira Gandhi. She brought together two student groups, the Kerala Students Union and the West Bengal State Chhatra Parishad, to create one big national organization.

Today, Varun Choudhary is the National President of NSUI. The group has over 5 million members and is active in many colleges across India. It is known as one of the largest student unions in the world that supports progressive ideas.

Joining NSUI

To become a member of NSUI, you need to be under 27 years old and a student. You must also be a citizen of India. Members cannot be part of any other political group. Also, they must not have been found guilty of any criminal activity.

NSUI has two types of members: "Primary Members" and "Active Members." You can join by filling out an online form.

NSUI Campaigns

Hum Badlenge Campaign

The "Hum Badlenge" Campaign (which means "We Will Change") started in November 2024. Through this campaign, NSUI invites students who care about their universities to become Campus Ambassadors. Students can apply online to be ambassadors at over 250 universities across India.

As a Campus Ambassador, students will:

• Talk about important issues on their college campuses.
• Get training and help from the Congress Party and NSUI.

This program is for students who believe in social justice, equality for all religions, gender equality, and the ideas of leaders like Nehru and Gandhi.

Symbolic Protest Campaign

NSUI flag

In June 2022, during a disagreement about school textbooks in Karnataka, NSUI protested. They were against changes to textbooks that they felt promoted certain political ideas. As a symbolic act of protest, they set fire to a piece of clothing outside the home of the Education Minister. This clothing was similar to the uniform worn by members of a group called the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The ruling party complained to the police, saying NSUI activists tried to burn the minister's house. A leader named Siddaramaiah explained that it was a symbolic act. He said they only burnt one item of clothing to show their protest. This led to a wider "symbolic protest" campaign where similar items were burnt to show disagreement with the RSS.

NSUI Achievements

NSUI has been successful in many areas.

Election Victories

NSUI won the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) Elections in 2024. Ronak Khatri was chosen as the President, and Lokesh Choudhary became the Joint Secretary.

Important Movements

NSUI has always been a leader in student movements. They work to solve important problems, including:

• Unfair Exam Practices: They have exposed problems like exam paper leaks and other issues in big tests like NEET and UGC NET. They also highlight problems in police recruitment exams.
• High Fees: They protest against colleges raising tuition and exam fees too much. Their goal is to make sure education stays affordable for everyone.
• Fair Opportunities: They work to make sure that reservation policies are correctly followed in schools and colleges. This helps students from certain communities get fair chances.
• Women's Safety: They organize campaigns and protests to demand safer campuses and public places for women.
• Education Funding: They speak out against cuts in money for student scholarships and education budgets. They want to make sure all students, especially those from less privileged backgrounds, can access education.

Protests and Actions

NEET Exam Protest

In 2024, there were concerns about problems with the NEET-UG exam, which is a very important test for students wanting to study medicine. NSUI members protested by going to the National Testing Agency (NTA) office in Delhi. They even locked the building and demanded that the agency be shut down. The protest happened because people were worried about exam paper leaks and many students getting perfect scores, which was unusual.

After the protest, the Delhi Police filed charges against NSUI National President Varun Choudhary and other members. Similar protests then took place in many cities across India. The issues led to court cases, and the Supreme Court ordered a re-test for over 1,500 students. The Ministry of Education created a group to look into the exam process, and another agency is investigating the alleged problems. On July 15, 2024, NSUI held a large protest in Bhopal against the NEET paper leak and other issues.

Parliament March

On December 5, 2024, NSUI members marched towards the Indian Parliament in Delhi. The Delhi Police stopped them. The protest aimed to bring attention to big problems like unemployment, delays in hiring for jobs, and cuts in student scholarships. They asked for fair hiring processes, clear rules in job applications, and for scholarships to be brought back, especially for students from certain communities. The protest spoke out against government policies that negatively affected students, particularly those from SC, ST, and OBC backgrounds. NSUI President Varun Choudhary and about 100 members were held by the Delhi Police during this protest.

NSUI National Presidents

Current State Presidents

See also

• All India Students' Federation
• Students' Federation of India
• All India Students Association
• Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
• Indian National Congress
• Indian Youth Congress
• Lists of political parties