JNUSU president Mohit Pandey
A day before the registration process for all courses wraps up at JNU, several student activists — including those from the JNU Students’ Union — have alleged that they are not being allowed to register because of “fines” levied on them. The university has allegedly blocked the registration of about 30 students, including all four JNUSU office bearers, against whom an enquiry is pending on various matters, including “disrupting an Academic Council meeting”, and “unlawful confinement” of officials at the administrative block.
Five students, including JNUSU president Mohit Pandey, who is facing seven enquiries, have refused to pay the fine. Four of them, Prashant Kumar, Dileep Yadav, Mulayam Yadav and Shakeel Anjum, have challenged their punishment in the Delhi High Court. “In one of the cases (of unlawful confinement), where the enquiry has been completed, we have been fined Rs 20,000. I have seven cases pending against me. If I start getting such fines for every one of these, I will have to pay Rs 1.4 lakh. The administration is trying to harass those who don’t follow their diktats,” alleged Pandey.
Prashant Kumar said the blocking of registration was not mentioned in the proctorial rules. “Earlier, too, there have been many cases in which students have enquiries pending against them, but their registration has never been blocked. We have gone through the proctorial rules; nowhere is this mentioned,” he said. Kumar and others have been charged with “barging” into an Academic Council meeting.
The High Court will hear the matter tomorrow, after which students will decided the next course of action. JNUSU general secretary Satarupa Chakraborty, who has paid the fine, alleged that his registration had been blocked as well.
“I had paid the fine day before yesterday, but my registration has still not been unblocked and tomorrow is the last day. They are harassing us by making us run around in circles from one person to the other,” she said. Chief Proctor Vibha Tandon did not respond to calls and texts by The Indian Express.
