Delay in fellowship payment leads to JNU hostel refusing food to students

A delay in payment of fellowship money to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students has led to some hostel students having been denied food in the hostel mess.

The varsity found itself in the middle of yet another controversy after around 200 hostelers residing in the Sutlej Hostel alleged that they were denied food by the hostel mess because they were unable to pay their dues, allegedly because they have not been paid their fellowship money yet. Meanwhile, JNU administration has claimed that the University Grants Commission (UGC) is yet to make a payment of Rs 11 crore to JNU.

Earlier, JNU students had alleged that they were not paid their nonnet (National Eligibility Test) fellowships, ranging from Rs 5,000 for M Phil scholars to Rs 8,000 for PHD scholars. Merit-cum-means Scholarship of Rs 10,000 per semester for BA and MA students from financially poor backgrounds too have not been paid since January 2017.

“I am facing extreme difficulty as I solely rely on the fellowship money. I don’t have anyone to help me with funds here. Fellowship is very important for me as I manage my bills and other expenses from the fellowship money. I had applied for my fellowship in February but have not received it as yet,” said Prashant, a JNU student.

Two notices signed by the mess warden Arnab Bhattacharya were circulated before stopping the food. The first notice on March 31 stated: “You are once again directed to clear your outstanding dues latest by April 3, failing which food will be stopped strictly from April 4 morning without any further notice.”

The second notice on April 4 signed by mess warden and senior warden stated the extension of the deadline to April 6, 4 pm. The notice further read: “Any defaulter will not be allowed to take food from April 7 morning onwards.”

However, following the protests, students have been given an extension till April 30 to clear all their bills.

Meanwhile, JNU approached the UGC for the release of funds on a priority basis. The university alleged that it did not receive the non-net fellowships for the last a few months. The UGC has not released about Rs 11 crore to JNU, the university authority said. Further, the Inter-hostel administration of JNU has permitted the non-net fellowship holders to continue their mess facilities.

JNU students alleged that they had not been paid their non-net fellowships since January 2017