After fee hike and fines, JNU students hold protest

NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University on Tuesday saw protests from all student political outfits over the announcement of a hike in hostel facilities and fines imposed on students. The new rate chart announced by the university has seen an up to 400% hike in hostel and mess facilities, including a hike on eggs from Rs 5 to Rs 20 and newspaper rate from Rs 15 to Rs 50.
Adding to that, there has also been a hike in the fine on students if and when an outsider and a student from another hostel are found in their hostel room. Similarly, there is a hike in the fine imposed if a female student is found in a boy’s hostel room after visiting hours. The same applies to students for using electric equipment in hostel rooms. This has led to protest from students of all political outfits who are calling these fines as “policing”.

Calling this move by the administration as a continuation of their “saga of lies,” the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) said that in a meeting conducted on January 17, when the fee hike proposals had come, JNUSU representatives with hostel presidents rejected them unanimously and asked the Inter-Hall Administration (IHA) to establish a financial committee to look into the rationale of hike.

“However, rather than constituting a committee, the IHA has made the proposal as policy without being passed in the meeting. This is a new trend that this administration has been using UGC gazette notification and compulsory attendance to turn their proposals to policies when rejected by teachers and students,” the JNUSU said in a statement.

The ABVP, which also protested against the hike, claimed that the dean of students, Umesh Kadam, has given them written assurances that they will revisit certain charges.