Curfew time, dining hall dress code in draft JNU hostel rules

NEWDELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday uploaded a draft of its new hostel manual on the varsity website, seeking suggestions from both students and teachers. The draft mentions fixing a curfew time of 11.30pm, “appropriate dressing rule” in dining halls and revision in the fee structure. Currently, movement of students in hostels is not restricted.

The move has created an uproar among students. The JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) on Sunday held an emergency meeting with hostel residents. They have decided to start a signature campaign against the changes in hostel manuals. JNUSU president Aishe Gosh said, “This kind of surveillance and curtailing of our basic right to movement has never been seen on our campus before. JNU is primarily a university of research scholars and known for its liberal campus. The

student community of JNU on Sunday decided to start a signature campaign against the move instead of sending suggestions to the administration,” she said.

Dean of students Umesh Kadam, who is also in-charge of JNU’S inter-hall administration--a body that looks after 18 hostels of JNU, said these rules have always been in the university’s hostel manual. “It’s just that they were not properly followed.

So many things have changed over the years. The system has changed, the management has changed and that’s why the manual has to be updated,” he said.

Kadam said the university also has to revise the hostel fee structure to improve the infrastructure. “We cannot continue with the minimal amount we are charging for all the facilities. The university has recently installed online payment software in all hostels. We will not increase the amount arbitrarily. JNU will continue its model of no-profit and no-loss,” he added.

The draft hostel manual also suggested that the hostel residents would not be allowed in another person’s room after 10:30pm. Farhat Salim, councillor of Centre for Law and Governance, said, “In JNU, the manual rules have never been followed because of its unique structure. It’s purely a research institute. The average age of students in JNU is between 24 and 28 years and the university also has hostel for married students. If the students are asked to be in their rooms by 11.30pm, then what is the benefit of the 24x7 library system in the JNU?”

Kadam said the administration will not implement anything “arbitrarily”. “We will go through democratic process. That’s why we have asked students to give us suggestions,” he said.