The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) has ended its 17-day hunger strike. This decision was taken after the university administration agreed to demands including the revocation of the rustication of student office-bearers and the withdrawal of FIRs against students. This information came to light at a meeting held on October 19.
In the minutes signed by Social Science College Principal Vivek Kumar and student representatives, the follow-up decisions regarding the students’ demands have been listed. These include reviewing the Chief Proctor’s Office (C.P.O.) manual, withdrawing proctorial inquiries, and setting up committees to examine various issues. In a separate notification dated October 19, Vice-Chancellor Chandisree Thulipudi Pandit has directed the administration to immediately revoke the rustication of five students. Those students have been instructed to pay the fine amount immediately.
The five students are: Aditi Mishra, K. Gopika Babu, Sunil Yadav, Danish Ali, and Neetish Kumar. The first four are current JNUSU office-bearers. The last-mentioned is a former JNUSU president. It was decided at the meeting that all FIRs against the students would be withdrawn. The proctorial inquiries initiated during the protests against rustication and the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, as well as the hostel infrastructure protest, will also be withdrawn. A committee comprising a JNUSU office-bearer and an elected member will be formed to review the controversial sections of the CPO handbook and recommend their removal. The student body had opposed this handbook for its rules that restrict protests and allow punishments including fines, suspension, and rustication.
The administration has approved the formation of a committee, including a JNUSU representative, to examine matters related to the Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Examination (JNUEE). The audit report on the Equal Opportunity Centre (EOC) will be submitted within a week. The centre will be restructured in consultation with JNUSU officials. Committees will also be formed to examine hostel reservation and other demands. The university has approved considering a 25 percent increase in the Merit-cum-Means (MCM) scholarship and initiating structural audits of the Tapti and Mahi-Mandavi hostels and the third-gender equality facilities areas (DEFLAs). The renovation work will be carried out in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
Other decisions were also taken, including setting up a committee to ensure that the geysers in all hostels are made operational within two weeks, opening a canteen at the Centre for Language and Literary Studies (C.S.L.G.), extending school library hours until 9 p.m., opening the Barrack hostel mess, and examining Wi-Fi facilities. It has been stated that the committee will meet again after 14 working days to take forward the specific demands and discuss ways to implement them.
