JNU defends ‘routine’ raids on hostel

The problem was not the checking. It is done regularly, and usually they just ask students to pay a fine... This time the authorities clicked their pictures, threatened to call parents... Why do they (the authorities) have to misbehave with the students?

GEETA KUMARI, president, JNU Students Union

NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday released a statement saying that the university “regularly monitors unauthorised guests in its hostels through routine as well as surprise checks”.

It said that attempts to paint this as “raids” with “vested interests” was misinformation being spread by a small section within the university.

Earlier this month, there were reports of “raids” in the hostels of the university where students were apprehended from the rooms of students’ of the opposite sex, creating a furore in a section of the student community.

“The problem was not the checking. It is done regularly, and usually they just ask students to pay a fine if any unauthorised guests are seen in the hostel rooms, or if the students are seen using heavy appliances without permission, etc. But this time, students said the authorities clicked their pictures, threatened to call parents. We are adults, we sometimes hang out with our friends at night. Why do they have to misbehave with the students? This is harassment,” said Geeta Kumari, president of the JNU Students Union.

Kumari also alleged that Buddha Singh, the associate dean of students-iii, who was part of the search party, had entered female students’ rooms despite explicit rules prohibiting the same.

Singh, however, denied the charges.

“This is just propaganda to malign the administration and my image. What had happened was just a routine check, and nothing out of the ordinary,” Singh said.

JNU also said that they had worked tirelessly to improve facilities for university residents in the past one-and-a-half years, including increasing capacity by 500, repairing and paving the roads leading to the hostels, better parking facilities and also planting around 600 trees.

“JNU has begun a trial run of e-rickshaws to facilitate residents’ movement on this large campus. And, to maintain higher degree of hygiene, JNU has constituted a committee to monitor cleanliness in all its hostels and dormitories and has initiated programmes to keep JNU campus clean and environmentally friendly,” reads the statement released by the university.

JNUTA TO BEGIN PUBLIC INQUIRY AGAINST VC

Meanwhile, JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) will begin their public inquiry into the conducts of the vice chancellor of the university on Monday, and the trials are expected to last until Friday.

Ayesha Kidwai, the president of the JNUTA, said that Jagadesh Kumar, the V-C, had not responded to the chargesheet that they had submitted at his offices earlier this week, and hence would be using his on-record statements to gauge his stances on various issues.

“He ( Kumar) has not responded to the chargesheet and said whether he will be defending himself or sending representation. So we will present what he been saying about the issues, his on record statements, while hearing the cases,” said Kidwai.

The trials will begin on Monday, with the jury set to hear about the “repeated violation of statutory violations and obligations,” will continue until Friday from 5pm.

On Tuesday, the panel of “public figures” from various walks, will hear the teachers’ arguments about the V-C’S role in undermining the GSCASH and his callous attitude towards the disappearance of Najeeb Ahmad.