JNU partially rolls back hike in hostel fees

21:07 November 13

JNU Vice-chancellor on partial roll back of hike in hostel fee

JNU Vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said, "Today, the Executive Council met and decided that we will not put in a new hostel manual the clause relating to timings in the hostel. The clause relating to the dress code will also not be a part of the manual. We have decided that for the general students the hostel room rent is increased from Rs 10 to Rs 300 for a double seater. For students belonging to BPL category, they will have to pay only 50% of this charge."

20:14 November 13

Protests will continue till our demands are met, says JNUSU Vice President

After a tweet was put out by Education Secretary R Subrahmanyam that the Jawaharlal Nehru University's Executive Committee announced a "major roll-back" on the hike of hostel fees, JNU Students' Union Vice-President Saket Moon on Wednesday asserted that there was no clarity in the matter and said that protests will continue till the demands are met.

JNU students have been protesting against the fee hike and the draft hostel manual approved by the Inter-Hall Administration (IHA) which also includes provisions on dress code and curfew timings. The matter blew out of proportion last week after a clash broke out between the students and police during the students' protest.

"We are not satisfied. The Vice-Chancellor should come here and personally communicate to us. Communication through tweet, circular or press note is wrong. There is still a lot of confusion. Someone is saying it will be done for EWS, but is it for all categories or for just general category?" Moon told ETV Bharat.

He added that there is still no clarity over the figure of the revised hostel fee as it is coming from different sources and asserted that there would be no compromise in the issue.

"Our three main demands are still there. The Vice-Chancellor should come and talk to us. The draft hostel manual should be rolled back and the IHA meeting, in which student representatives are part of, which was called on October 28, should be declared null and void. Unless our demands are not met, protests will continue," Moon further said.

His remarks came after the JNU's executive committee announced a roll-back on the hike of hostel fees and other stipulations after massive protests by the students of the varsity that escalated over the past few days.

"#JNU Executive Committee announces major roll-back in the hostel fee and other stipulations. Also proposes a scheme for economic assistance to the EWS students. Time to get back to classes," Subrahmanyam tweeted and tagged the HRD ministry in the post.

The university had hiked the rate of a student single room rent from Rs 10 to Rs 300 per month, for student double room from Rs 20 to Rs 600 per month and increased one-time refundable mess security deposit from Rs 5,500 to Rs 12,000.

20:13 November 13

Revised fee details released by the varsity

Revised fee details released by the varsity

As per the revised hostel manual released by the university, the clause of curfew timing has been withdrawn. The dress code for students in the mess or dining hall has also been discarded.

In the press note , they have also mentioned that the varsity has decided to provide 50 per cent concession on room rent, utility charges and service charges on students below the poverty line.

The refundable mess security/ mess advance for students of all categories has been rolled back from 12000 to 5500.

The single room rent has been revised to Rs 200/- and the double room rent has been revised to Rs 100/- per month.

20:04 November 13

Revised fee details released by the varsity

As per the revised hostel manual released by the university, the clause of curfew timing has been withdrawn. The dress code for students in the mess or dining hall has also been discarded.

In the press note , they have also mentioned that the varsity has decided to provide 50 per cent concession on room rent, utility charges and service charges on students below the poverty line.

The refundable mess security/ mess advance for students of all categories has been rolled back from 12000 to 5500.

The single room rent has been revised to Rs 200/- and the double room rent has been revised to Rs 100/- per month.

Earlier, as per the new manual, the single room rent was increased from Rs 20 to Rs 600 and double room rent was increased from Rs 10 to Rs 300. 

The service charges will remain Rs 1,700/- as was before and the utility charges are as per actuals. Moreover, EWS students will receive assistance as well. 

The statement read, "The administration makes a fervent appeal to all the students of JNU to get back to their classes, lab works, and research activities as major concessions have been given to students belonging to BPL category and removed the clauses related to dress and hostel timings from the hostel manual as per the feedback from the students. Resuming academic work will protect the careers of thousands of students from any further harm."

19:59 November 13

Teachers and students call JNU fee hike rollback 'cosmetic'

Members of Jawaharlal Nehru University students' union and teachers' association on Wednesday termed the "partial rollback" of hostel fee hike "cosmetic".

The decision to rollback the fee hike was taken at the university's Executive Council meeting, which had to be shifted outside the campus at the last moment fearing agitation by students.

The students have been protesting against the fee hike, proposed in the draft hostel manual, for 16 days.

A JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) representative said, "We will issue a statement when we have clear information. If the reports are to be believed, there is a no rollback but only cosmetic changes have been made."

The representative added they do not consider the Executive Council legitimate since eight members were not present owing to the administration not informing them about the change in the venue of the meeting.

The JNU students' union said it will continue its struggle till the time the hostel manual is not be discussed with them.
 

17:07 November 13

After massive protest, JNU partially rolls back hike in hostel fees

New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University on Wednesday decided to partially roll back the hike in hostel fees following protests by students for 16 days.

The decision was taken in varsity's Executive Council (EC) meeting which had to be shifted outside the campus at the last moment fearing agitation by students.

"JNU Executive Committee announces major rollback in the hostel fee and other stipulations. Also proposes a scheme for economic assistance to the EWS students. Time to get back to classes," HRD Secretary R Subrahmanyam tweeted. 

According to reports, the room rent which was raised to Rs 600 from Rs 20 for single occupancy will now be Rs 200. Similarly, for double occupancy, the rent was hiked from Rs 10 to Rs 300. The amount will now be Rs 100.

The students had on Monday staged a protest outside AICTE, the venue for the convocation.

As the protests escalated, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' was stuck inside for over six hours and forced to cancel two scheduled events. 

16:44 November 13

Hostel fee hike: JNU students intensify protest, varsity shifts council meet venue outside campus

As JNU students intensified their protest on Wednesday for rollback of the hostel fee hike, the university administration had to shift a meeting of the Executive Council outside the campus fearing disruption due to the agitation.

The Executive Council is the highest decision-making body of the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The students from Left-backed political outfits have been protesting against the hike in hostel fees for almost a fortnight, and the representatives from RSS student wing ABVP have also planned a march to the UGC office over similar demands.

The students' union claims the draft hostel manual, approved by the Inter-Hall administration, has provisions for hostel fee hike, dress code and curfew timings.

15:54 November 13

ABVP joins JNU Protest

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) holds a protest outside University Grants Commission (UGC) against fee hike. They are also protesting against Draft Hostel Manual in front of the UGC office in New Delhi.

JNU Students Union President Aishe Ghosh on Wednesday said that the Vice-Chancellor (VC) M Jagadeesh Kumar is not ready to engage in democratic dialogue with the students.

"We had come peacefully outside the Executive Council (EC) meeting venue to register our protest. The meeting did not take place. The VC is not ready for any democratic dialogue. The HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank also assured us that the VC will engage in dialogue with the students but there has been no response from the VC," Ghosh told reporters.

"We are fighting for our right to study. It is not just about an increase in fees. But we have the right to ask how there has been an astronomical rise in the fees and why is the VC not engaging in dialogue with the students?" she added.

"The VC never meets students or teachers. He always sends representatives only. The VC has dissolved the entire dialogue system. If the students are pushed to the wall then we can't say what will happen in the future. The protest will keep on going until and unless a decision is taken on the fees. There are a very few universities left in which poor students can study," DK Lobiyal, President of Teachers' Association JNU said.

"The protests are being held by the students. We have come for an executive council meeting but the VC is not present. The government of India had put up a draft policy for New Education Policy and asked for reviews on it. But the policy started being implemented without any consultation. FEDCUTA (Federation of Central University Teachers Association) has called for a protest on November 14 against this," Professor Sachidanand Sinha said.

JNU students have been protesting against the fee increase and new hostel manual which also includes provisions on dress code and curfew timings.

The matter blew out of proportion last week after a clash broke out between the students and police during the students' protest.

12:59 November 13

Student Union protests outside university campus

New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) has been protesting outside the university campus against the draft hostel manual.

The students' union has been on a strike against the draft hostel manual, approved by the Inter-Hall administration, which it claims has provisions for the hostel fee hike, dress code and curfew timings.

The draft hostel manual might come up for discussion at the Executive Council (EC) meeting on Wednesday and if approved, will be implemented.

Since Tuesday was a holiday, the students continued with their strike but did not hold any protests, JNUSU vice-president Saket Moon said.

The students have, however, begun protesting outside the campus and submitting a memorandum of their demands to the EC members.

They want the IHA meeting which was convened without their participation on October 28, where the draft hostel manual was passed, be held again.

The students want the EC members to raise the issue and ensure that the draft hostel manual is not implemented.

On Tuesday, the students of FTII, Pune and the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) expressed solidarity with the JNU students and staged protests.

The students of Delhi University's Campus Law Centre also released a statement to condemn the alleged police brutality on JNU students who protested outside the varsity's convocation venue on Monday.

The members of Left-affiliated All India Students' Association at Ambedkar University will also be holding a protest on Wednesday.

On Monday, thousands of JNU students clashed with the police as their protest over the steep fee hike escalated, leaving Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' stranded for over six hours at the venue of the university's convocation.

They were protesting outside the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) premises, the venue for the university's third convocation, which was addressed by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.