The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) on Wednesday organised a referendum against compulsory attendance on campus.
The JNUSU said the university stands for its own time-tested methods of classroom participation, academic engagement and accountability, and that the students will be voting to reject the administration’s imposition of forcing students to sign compulsory attendance sheets.
“Continuous evaluation of classroom performance, presentations, assignments, tests and tutorials, supervisory and departmental progress reports for research scholars have achieved widely-recognised excellence for JNU,” said the students.
Some students said the referendum was important as it was a voice that cannot be suppressed by a certain section of teachers who were threatening disciplinary action and trying to show that only a few students were against the compulsory attendance policy.
The JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) also came out in support of the students, who are currently facing financial hardships due to delay in disbursal of fellowships and well as increase in mess rates and fines.
