JNU students call for roll back of action over protests

JNU students and hostel presidents have submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor, calling for a rollback of disciplinary actions and penalties imposed on students for protesting. They have also called for JNUSU elections and threatened non-cooperation if demands are not met. A signature campaign and march are planned for December 23.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) and hostel presidents submitted a memorandum to the JNU vice-chancellor (VC) on Friday, calling for a roll back of the new chief proctor’s office (CPO) manual, rescinding the recent disciplinary action initiated by the proctor’s office and dropping inquiry against students in matters related to protests, people aware of the matter said on Saturday.

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The development came after 16 students comprising members of JNUSU and elected hostel presidents, received show-cause notices for leading a protest, following a water crisis in September, they added.

HT reached out to VC Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, but she did not respond to request for comment.

Recently, the university imposed strict penalties and fines for staging protests, including dharnas and hunger strikes, under the CPO manual, which was approved by the university’s executive council on November 24.

The memorandum stated this show-cause notification came soon after a PhD student was rusticated on the ground of “indiscipline” and asked to pay a fine of ₹50,000 in October. It further said, “Similarly, on the 6th of September, the wardens of Kaveri Hostel under the pretext of enforcing a punishment issued through a farcical proctorial inquiry, began pressuring Farooque, a disabled Muslim student in his final year of PhD, to vacate his room. The entire process was carried out in a completely undemocratic manner, foregoing the procedure laid out by the Hostel Manual of the University.”

The memorandum also called for JNUSU elections, which have been stalled up until now. VC , earlier, said that the administration under her has not imposed any penalties for protesting.

The memorandum added, “We shall be forced to initiate peaceful non-cooperation with the entire JNU administration if the demands are not addressed before the commencement of the winter semester in 2024.”

In a press conference on Saturday, students said that they have also initiated a signature campaign among students, highlighting their demands, and will call for a march on December 23.