The Vice Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University commented on the situation at the varsity. M. Jagadesh Kumar said that over 50% of the students had paid hostel dues and registered. He said that winter semester at the university started on January 13, 2020. JNU witnessed fierce protests over a hike in hostel fees since October 2019. Kumar also appealed to parents of students to persuade their wards to return to classes. He also congratulated the 18 JNU students who cleared the prestigious UPSC Indian Economic Services exam. He also met one of the students who was successful in the IES exam.