Scuffle outside UGC office during JNU protest against PhD seat cuts

NEW DELHI: A scuffle broke out between Jawaharlal Nehru University students and police during a protest by the students outside the University Grants Commission (UGC) office, against recently adopted guidelines which impact the number of seats in research courses.

Students led by JNU students’ union gathered outside the UGC office around noon and tried to remove the barricades placed there and enter the premises. Some students managed to jump the barricades and enter inside too.

On Tuesday, the protest took place when the commission was holding a meeting — the last for the present UGC chairperson, Ved Prakash, who is set to retire soon.

Students and teachers have been protesting against recently adopted 2016 UGC notification that changes the admission policy for research courses. Students and teachers claim it has led to over 86% seat cut in M.Phil and Ph.D courses.

A delegation of students, including MA students, who said they will be most impacted by the new guidelines, along with teachers later met the UGC officials. The student and teacher delegation submitted a memorandum requesting rollback of the guidelines.

“Not only is there a huge seat cut due to the UGC guidelines, but JNU’s progressive admission policy is also being changed. Deprivation points given to students from backward districts have also been done away with. We want UGC to rollback these guidelines,” said Mohit Pandey, JNUSU president.

Former JNU teachers’ association (JNUTA) Ajay Patnaik said, “We met UGC officials and explained our concern.”