JNU students clash with cops as they protest over fee hike and other issues. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)
JNU students protests Highlights: Protests by JNU students over hostel-fee hike became violent as the protesters clashed with the police and security personnel who were deployed at the AICTE auditorium in Vasant Kunj. The university held its third convocation, with Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu as chief guest, at the venue. While the students broke barricades and raised slogans with placards in their hands, calling Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar a “thief”, police used water cannon to disperse the students.
Union Human Resource Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who also attended the convocation along with Naidu, got stuck at the auditorium premises for around three hours. The minister finally left the place around 4.15 pm and had to cancel two events later in the day, due to the situation. However, officials were quoted as saying by PTI that he met JNUSU members at around 2 pm and listened to their demands. He also assured them with a solution.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) has been on a strike against the Draft Hostel Manual which was approved by the Inter-Hall Administration. They claim that the manual has provisions for the fee hike, curfew timings and dress code restrictions for students. The union added they will not end the strike till the Hostel Manual is withdrawn.
Police use water cannons to disperse the protesting JNU students.
Over 600 security personnel were deployed to handle the protest on Monday by the Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU) against the varsity administration's recent decisions, but the "students were not lathicharged", officials said. Thousands of JNU students clashed with the police as their protest over a steep fee hike escalated, leaving HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' stranded for over six hours at the venue of the varsity's convocation. The students of the varsity, which has seen several such agitations in the recent years, were protesting outside the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) premises, the venue for the varsity's third convocation, which was addressed by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Students claimed the police used force against them and several among them sustained injuries. However, a senior police officer, said there were orders from seniors to not use force and the on-ground personnel were not even carrying their weapons. PTI
From the infamous sedition row of 2016 and lockdown of his office multiple times, to the Union HRD Minister getting stuck for over six hours at the venue of JNU's convocation on Monday, M Jagadesh Kumar's tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of the university has been marred with controversies. Kumar, who was made the VC in January 2016 and has more than a year of service left, had first brush with controversies as the VC just a week after his appointment when students locked horns with the administration over holding an event against the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. PTI
Here is a statement released by the JNUSU:
JNUSU salutes the spirit of thousands of students who are resisting the fee hike and imposition of regressive and patriarchal rules in the name of Hostel Manual. Amidst this ongoing struggle and crisis in JNU, the administration conducted the annual convocation. The students in the most spirited and democratic way went to the venue to register their demands and protests before the Honourable Vice President of India and the Union Minister for HRD.
Due to the 999% fee hike that is being imposed on us, the University today faces an unprecedented crisis, with an overwhelming number of its students facing a threat to their academic future. For a university where a majority of students come from the most marginalized backgrounds in this country, no wonder that many of the degree receiving students participating in the convocation also joined the protest. However, it is condemnable that the Delhi Police resorted to unprovoked violence on the students, using water canons. Many students have been injured by this action.
It is the strength and unity and purpose of our cause that has forced the MHRD to take note of our demands. We hope that instead of dilly-dallying and protecting the anti-student measures of the JNU administration, better sense will prevail over the MHRD and all these policies rolled back. We seek an immediate resolution on the part of the MHRD and the JNU administration on this matter.
While the MHRD Minister met the Students Union, it is shameful that the VC continued to hide and refused to meet the studens. It has become amply clear that M Jagadesh Kumar is unfit to carry out the functions of a VC. WE ARE FACING AN ACADEMIC EMERGENCY created by this administration and we will continue to protest for our right to education. We reiterate our clear demands:
1. The meeting on hostel rules be reconvened in the presence of student representatives and all regressive parts pertaining to clothing/timings/etc must be revoked.
2. The 999% fee hike from 2740 to 30100 annually must be rolled back immediately.
3. The JNU VC must be removed for his inability to carry out the role of a Vice-Chancellor in any reasonable and democratic manner.
We appeal to all the citizens of this country on who's taxes this university runs. JNU remains a university which is still accessible to the poorest and most marginalized sections in this country and this present move is a brutal attack on not just current students but on all those students from such backgrounds who fight and aspire for higher education. This is why the protest will only intensify if the demands are not dealt with soon.
-JNUSU
JNUSU office bearers met Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank after the latter was stuck at the AICTE auditorium in the day, following protests by the university students over fee hike. However, the students were not able to meet JNU VC and raised slogans "we want V-C". "The VC is destroying the varsity. We have made several attempts to meet him in campus, but there has been no fruitful result," said JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh.
WATCH | Women police personnel push back girl students of JNU during the protest over fee hike.
The protest is part of the agitation against the hostel manual and several other issues like restrictions by the administration on entry to the Parthasarathy Rocks -- a hillock inside the campus, attempts to lock students' union office, according to the students. The students' union has been on a strike against the draft hostel manual, which was approved by the inter-hall administration. They have said the strike would not end until the hostel manual is withdrawn. Traffic came to a standstill around the area due to the protests.
Explained: What is the JNU fee hike that students are protesting?
Meanwhile, the official twitter handle of the Ministry of HRD on Monday said that Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank held "positive talks" with the protesting JNU students at the AICTE premises. "The Union Minister has assured the students that their problems will soon be resolved," the tweet said.
As the protests by JNU students over hostel fee hike intensified Monday, Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal was stuck inside the AICTE auditorium for over three hours, forcing him to cancel two events later in the day. Hundreds of students protested outside the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) auditorium today where Pokhriyal and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu were chief guests at the third convocation ceremony of JNU. The auditorium is around 3 km away from JNU. Read More
News agency PTI reported that HRD Minister is still stuck at the AICTE auditorium near JNU campus as students protested outside. "HRD minister inside AICTE auditorium since morning as JNU students escalate protests, cancels two scheduled events in ministry," officials were quoted by PTI as saying.
Protests organised by JNU students over different issues including fee hike continue outside the university campus.
The protests in the JNU have taken a dramatic turn as students clash with police on the convocation day of the University. The students are protesting over fee hike and the JNU administration's "anti-student" policy. Additional force has also been deployed at AICTE, the venue of the protests.
Meanwhile, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu pitched on Monday for political empowerment of women by providing adequate reservation for them in Parliament and state legislatures. At the third convocation ceremony of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), he expressed happiness over the fact that women constitute 51 per cent of the students in the institute because of special admission policy for them, and those hailing from distant places and belonging to marginalized sections. "I would also like to stress on the need for political empowerment of women by providing adequate reservation for them in Parliament and state legislatures," Naidu said. The Vice President asserted that the time has come for India to again emerge as a global hub of learning. PTI
Delhi Police used water cannon to disperse the protesters from JNUSU.
Police are now taking the JNUSU office-bearers to meet V-C. The students had claimed that the V-C was unwilling to meet them. They wanted to meet V-C to discuss the new hostel manual which included some "anti-student" provisions.
"JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh and vice president Saket Moon were asked to talk to the students to make way for the HRD minister. Police requested the protesters to move from the gate, but they refused," an officer said.
Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal is not being able to come out of the venue and the police are requesting the students to let him go. The police are requesting the students to let him go. (PTI)
Protests by JNU students over hostel-fee hike became violent as the protesters clashed with the police and security personnel who were deployed at the AICTE auditorium. The university is holding its third convocation there. The students broke barricades while the police allegedly put some of them into buses by the police. However, it was unclear whether they were detained. See photos
Watch video | JNU students protest over fee hike and other proposals in hostel manual.
While talking to ANI, one of the protesting students said, "We are protesting for over 15 days but the vice-chancellor is not willing to talk to us. The fee has been hiked in the university. Around 40 per cent of the students here come from very poor families."
Last year, JNU held its second convocation after 46 long years. That year too, the students' union had called for a boycott, accusing JNU VC M Jagadesh Kumar of "muzzling their democratic rights". The varsity's first convocation was held in 1972, when G Parthasarathi was the vice-chancellor.
JNU student-police clash outside AICTE auditorium as Naidu attends convocation. (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna)
JNU students' clash with police and security takes a violent turn. (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna)
JNU convocation underway. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu is the chief guest. (Photo: ANI)
The decisions were taken in a meeting held on October 28. Service charges of around Rs 1,700 per month have been introduced. Similarly, rent for single-seater rooms was increased from Rs 20 per month to Rs 600 per month, and for a double-seater from Rs 10 per month to Rs 300 per month. The one-time mess security amount, which is refundable, was increased from Rs 5,500 to Rs 12,000. Utility charges of electricity and water have also been introduced which were free until now.
Huge police force and security personnel were deployed at the AICTE auditorium in Vasant Kunj since morning. The JNUSU protesters broke the barricades at the main gate to march towards the venue where the convocation of the varsity has just started. (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna)
Students march with banner suggesting: 'Say no to fee hike'. (Photo: ANI)
Protests have been raging in the campus over a revision in the hostel manual which has resulted in massive fee hike among other things. The Additional Dean of Students who signed off on the changes was kept in a classroom for 24 hours by the JNUSU. They said they had asked her to leave if she would either take back the decision or set up their meeting with the vice-chancellor. The vice-chancellor, on the other hand, accused students of keeping the Associate Dean of Students (ADoS) in “illegal captivity”.
JNU students clash with police during protests. (Express Photo)
Amid protests by JNU students over the hostel fee hike, all five provosts, in charge of 18 hostels, have either resigned or signed statements rejecting the new hostel manual. The provosts, however, alleged they did so under pressure from the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU). The JNUSU said it had given the provosts two options — reject (the manual) or resign. Students have been protesting since October 28, when the new hostel manual was allegedly passed without the presence of JNUSU representatives and hostel presidents. The Associate Dean of Students (ADoS), however, put out a notice Wednesday condemning the incident and said none of the provosts had “actually resigned” or rejected the manual. While the administration said there was “no massive hike”, new hostel charges have been put out by it.
The Monday's protest is also part of the students' agitation against the hostel manual and several other issues like restrictions by the administration on entry to Parthasarathy Rocks, attempts to lock students' union office, etc, they said.
Clashes have erupted between the JNU students and Delhi Police in the national capital.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union on Monday took to Delhi streets to protest against the fee hike, besides the against the “anti-student” policies of the varsity’s administration. The varsity is scheduled to hold its third convocation on Monday with Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu as the chief guest. Follow our live blog for all the latest updates.