JNUSU criticises VC over police presence on varsity campus

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 15

Amid the JNU Students’ union (JNUSU) strike today refusing to give in on the issue of compulsory attendance, the sessional exams kicked off in the university. JNUSU criticised varsity Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Jagadesh Kumar over the administration’s move to increase police presence on the campus.

The decision to deploy police force on the campus was “to intimidate” the protesting students, as per the students body.

“Rather than meeting the protesting students peacefully, who wish to seek answers on compulsory attendance, the VC has fallen to a new low by again calling police to the campus to intimidate and terrorise the students,” said the JNUSU in a statement issued here.

“Sessional Exams are taking place... Students/ Profs once again prove that they're not against learning, knowledge or classes. They're against the imposition of this idiotic rule of compulsory attendance,” said protesting students while demanding a roll back of the administrative order.

On the issue, the JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) has backed the students and urged the varsity administration to immediately start a dialogue with students and teachers for resolving the matter.

The teachers’ body had expressed serious reservations regarding the new system of mandatory attendance introduced by the administration for all programmes from winter session 2018.

In its Executive Committee meeting, JNUTA claimed the “procedural lapses” that have taken place in implementation of the new rules (mandatory 75 per cent attendance for appearing in the semester exams) were in “contrast to the democratic decision” making processes of the university.