JNUSU referendum on attendance issue

NEWDELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) will hold a referendum on the recent directive of the university making attendance compulsory for students in all courses. The referendum will be held on March 7 to find out students’ opinion on the matter.

A circular issued by the university on December 22 last year made 75% attendance mandatory for students registered in all programmes from the winter semester 2018.

The move has sparked protest by students, many of whom have refused to sign the attendance sheet. The JNU teachers’ association has also opposed the move to make attendance compulsory.

The movement had gained momentum, after a new circular issued said students could claim their scholarships, appear for exams, or register for the new semester, only if they maintain a minimum of 75% attendance.

“We will conduct a referendum on March 7 on the issue. The students’ community is not happy with this decision,” said JNUSU president Geeta Kumari.

The referendum statement said, “JNU stands for its own time-tested methods of classroom participation and accountability, including continuous evaluation of classroom performance, presentations, assignments, tests, and tutorials, which have achieved widely recognised excellence for JNU - and rejects the Administration’s mindless imposition of forcing students to sign compulsory attendance sheets.”

In the referendum, students will vote whether they agree with this statement or not.