There are some independent institutions that are important to every democracy, eg. the media, CSOs, and academia. When functioning free of threat, these groups provide adequate checks for the Executive. And as we know, checking the executive is important in any democracy.

The Public Universities Bill targets the academic institution. When passed, it gives the Executive more control over public universities. The Executive can constitute or dissolve the University Council at whim, and holds majority appointing power to said council.

More control threatens academic freedom, to put it simply. Academic freedom is important because research is key to progress. If public institutions only research stuff okayed by government (via the council) we'll never see useful information eg. how bad our covid 19 situation is

Or if Free SHS has really helped the younger generation. Governments don't like to be put in a bad light, and so if they can stop it, they will. In countries where academic freedom exists, democracy thrives. Society thrives too. That's one reason enough to fight the bill.