Some students have been detained by the police. “It’s a way to appeal to lawmakers to fight on our behalf inside the floor of the house,” says JNUSU. Bowing to the demands of the students, the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry on Monday appointed a three-member high-powered committee to address the concerns regarding the fee hike. For the past three weeks, students have been protesting inside the administration block of the university against the increase in hostel fee, even though JNU announced a rollback last Wednesday.
Here are the top developments:
– The government panel was formed ahead of the protest march organized by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) on Monday, when the winter session of Parliament commenced, to protest against the hostel fee hike and appeal lawmakers to take up their cause. Prohibitory orders were put in place with section 144 imposed and heavy deployment of security forces was seen outside the JNU campus.
– According to sources, the government has said that the proposed panel will involve all stakeholders, including JNUSU and university administration in discussions – unlike the committees appointed in the past – with the view of “restoring normal functioning of the Jawaharlal Nehru University through dialogue “and” resolve of contentious issues “.
– The panel will comprise of Prof VS Chauhan, former Vice Chairman UGC; Prof Anil Shahsrabudhe Chauhan, chairman, AICTE and Prof Rajnish Jain, Secretary, UGC, the HRD notice stated, entrusting them with the responsibility of submitting recommendations on the actions to be taken.
– Students are protesting inside the administration block of the university against the increase in hostel fee, even though JNU announced a rollback in the hike on Wednesday evening. The students have dubbed the partial rollback as an “eyewash”.
R. Subrahmanyam, Education Secretary,
Ministry of HRD: MHRD has appointed a high power committee for discussion with students and administration for peaceful resolution of all issues.# JNUpic.twitter.com/J7Y9GlhfsT– ANI (@ANI)November 18, 2019
– “At a time when fee hikes are rampant across the country, students have emerged as the first line of defense for inclusive education. We invite all students of Delhi, to join us as we march on foot from JNU to Parliament on the first day of the winter session of Parliament, “the JNUSU said. It also appealed to students outside Delhi to organization agitations on November 18 to mark a National Day of Protest, “to safeguard education as a right, and oppose its transformation into a commodity”.
– The JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) expressed concern over the deployment of police outside the varsity. “The massive police deployment and barricading at the gates of the JNU campus, which on the face of it appears to be only for the purpose of preventing the students from taking out their planned march to Parliament,” it said. “Such measures or use of force to thwart the exercise of constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights and to impede the students from peacefully taking their voice beyond the campus would be extremely unfortunate and the JNUTA hopes that no such situation will eventually arise,” the association said
– Police said they have made adequate security arrangements along the route of the march. Police personnel are deployed at all entry points leading towards Parliament from all possible routes starting from southwest district, a senior police official said. “We have fortified the entire area around Parliament with the winter session beginning from tomorrow. Additional police personnel from other districts will also be deployed to avoid any untoward situation, “he added.
– Meanwhile, the Delhi Traffic Police have issued an advisory for commuters, informing about the routes that should be avoided due to the protests. Taking to Twitter, the Delhi Traffic Police said, “Traffic could be adversely affected or stopped on Nelson Mandela Road, Aruna Asaf Ali Road and Gangnath Marg due to student protest. Commuters are advised to avoid these roads and use Mehrauli Mahipalpur road, Aurobindo marg , Outer ring road and NH 48. “
– JNU Vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar urged the protesting students on Sunday to return to their classes as exams are near. In a video message released on the varsity’s website, he said he has been getting e-mails from worried parents and students about the situation in the university which is affecting academic activities.
– “If we still continue with the strike and cause academic loss, it is going to affect future of thousands of students.” From tomorrow, a new week will begin and I request the students to come back to the classes and resume your research activities . From December 12, the semester exams will start and if you do not attend classes, it will affect your future goals, “Kumar said.
– On Sunday, a section of teachers also held a press conference and claimed that a handful of students have terrorised other pupils and are not allowing them to attend classes.
“There are 8, 000 students in the university and at least 6, 000 of them want to attend classes. But 200 or so students are not allowing them and have created an atmosphere of terror, “said one of the professors at the press conference
– The students of JNU are protesting inside the administration block of the university against the increase in hostel fee. The students were demanding withdrawal of service charges of Rs 1, 700 which were introduced from next session and the one-time mess security fee, which is refundable, has been hiked from Rs 5, 500 to Rs 12 , 000.
– On November 13, students painted various messages for the vice chancellor inside the administration block as they barged inside the building to talk to him about the hostel fee hike. Facing an intense agitation for over two weeks, the JNU administration partially rolled back the hostel fee hike for BPL (below poverty line) students not availing any scholarship on November 13, a move that failed to satisfy the protesting students, who dubbed it as an “eyewash” and decided to continue with the strike
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