MHRD SAYS IT WILL LOOK INTO GRIEVANCES, MAY FORM PANEL
NEWDELHI: The ministry of human resource development (MHRD) on Monday said it would look into demands of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students and find solutions for it.
A senior ministry official, on condition of anonymity, said that the hostel fees, the trigger for the latest protests, had not been increased for the last 40 years, which was why they decided to do so.
JNU’S Dean Students’ Welfare could soon meet students and hold discussions while the ministry was also mulling the possibility of appointing a panel led by an eminent educationist to look into the matter. This could be on Friday, the above mentioned official said.
Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank found himself confined in the AICTE campus after protesting students from the premier university gathered outside the venue against the fee hike and other issues.
Nishank also met some of the protesting students. The HRD ministry also said that Nishank had a positive discussion with the protesting students, some of whom he had met. “The minister has assured that their demands and issues would be looked into and a solution found soon,” the ministry tweeted.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, another official said that while the genuine grievances would definitely be resolved, there were also canards being spread.
“There is talk that new norms, like what is being touted as curfew, have been introduced. The rule for students to be back in hostel at 11pm, or half-an-hour after the library closed, existed in the old hostel manual, which was not reviewed during the last 14 years,” the second officer said.
Nishank’s plans to launch the new avatar of ministry’s SWAYAM programme was cancelled. SWAYAM is ministry’s online education arm.
What the new JNU hostel manual says: Increased fee structure
11.30pm curfew time fixed
Appropriate dress code proposed No student allowed in anyone else’s room post 10:30 pm
No visitors allowed after 10:30pm
Person from opposite sex not allowed in hostel rooms
Fine of up to ~10,000 for violating hostel norms
Hostel administration can deny entry to visitors
Permission from warden for night outs
Jawaharlal Nehru University (Jnu)students and administration have been engaged in a fresh standoff over increase in hostel fee and a new manual of rules. JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh spoke to Hindustan Times on what led to the protests. Excerpts:
What are your demands?
We demand a roll back of the new hostel manual. We want the administration to hold a fresh meeting to discuss the hostel rules. We want to have a dialogue with the university vicechancellor.
The hostel fee is being revised after three decades. Don’t you think it’s only fair to revise the rates for better maintenance and facilities?
I agree the revision is happening after long. However, the administration needs to consult the student community
Rollback of the new hostel manual A dialogue with the vice-chancellor Hostel rules to be framed in the presence of students’ representatives
Besides fee revision, other rules were already there in the current hostel manual
Hostel fee revision was necessary for infrastructural development.
Hostel fee has not been revised in the past one decade. Hostel room rents have not been revised in the last three decades
Single seater room rent Double seater room rent Service Charges
One time mess security (refundable) 20
10
NIL 5,500 600 300 1,700 12,000
The minister has assured that their demands and issues will be looked into.
MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE AND DEVELOPMENT