Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association
Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA) is a student organization formed on 15 November 2014 at Jawaharlal Nehru University on Birsa Munda's birth anniversary. It claims to work for student rights and the issues affecting SCs, STs, OBCs and other minority groups. BAPSA says it stands for assertion, follows Ambedkarite ideology and is critical of both Left- and Right-wing forces on campus. BAPSA is also active in Central University of Gujarat. Campus activities Founded by members of the United Dalit Students’ Forum, BAPSA conducts rallies and protests, as well as inviting students and teachers from the campus to talk about their issues. In 2017, BAPSA blocked the JNU administration building for 20 days in protest at a cut in the number of reserved seats and changes in the entrance criteria for graduate programs which they thought would make it difficult for marginalised applicants to gain admission to study. In February 2018, BAPSA protested the Tata Institute of Social Sciences administration’s decision to withdraw financial aid to students from the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class communities. JNUSU elections BAPSA has contested the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) polls since 2016. The Hindu noted after the 2017 elections,