JNU students go on strike against attendance policy

JNUSU MEMBERS SAID THAT THEY WOULD ALSO BE HOSTING AN ALLORGANISATION MEETING LATE ON FRIDAY NIGHT, TO DECIDE ITS FUTURE COURSE OF ACTION

NEWDELHI: Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University, cutting across political lines, have come together to protest the varsity’s mandatory attendance policy.

On Friday, the students organised a protest against a new circular from the administration that stated that students could claim scholarships, appear for exams, or register for new semester only if they maintained the minimum required attendance.

Since the university made maintaining minimum attendance mandatory in December last year, students from across party lines and a section of faculty members have been agitating against the decision, calling it arbitrary, unnecessary and a way to victimize students.

The JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) had urged “the administration to initiate a dialogue with the parties concerned instead of using authoritarian and coercive methods.” The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) called for a university strike on Friday after deeming the new guidelines an attempt to “threaten” dissenting students.

“Most of our courses here have marks assigned for class participation, so attendance is already a requirement. This new system is a new method to victimise students,” said Geeta Kumari, the JNUSU president.

The JNU administration, however, defended the move. “It is a rule, and it cannot be treated as a threat,” said SC Garkoti, the rector II of the university.

The new diktat has, however, managed to bring all student leaders together for a cause.

“Today, we will not sloganeer against the JNUSU. We are all fighting towards a common goal,” said Vijay Kumar the president of the ABVP’S JNUunit, though in a later statement he added that the JNUSU has been ‘unsuccessful’ in its fight so far.

JNUSU members said that they would also be hosting an all-organisation meeting late on Friday night, to decide its future course of action.

Friday’s protest was peaceful with around 85% of students abstaining from attending classes. According to JNUSU members, a scuffle broke out outside the School Social Sciences-i building on Friday afternoon, when a group of students tried to stop a teacher from entering the centre.

Milind Mahadev Dumbere, DCP (Southwest), said that a student and teacher from the university had filed cross-complaints in the matter and a case has not been registered yet. The JNU administration, including the V-C, registrar, proctor, and rectors-i and III, were unavailable to comment.