JNU students marching towards Parliament stopped, detained

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students heading towards the Parliament were stopped and detained by Delhi Police near the university's North gate. Heavy police deployment with barricades put across the roads stopped the march as hundreds of students came out of the varsity gate.

Equipped in riot gear, the police stopped the students at Ber Sarai road and blocked them from marching towards the Parliament. JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh and other students were detained and put inside buses.

JNU students have been agitating against the JNU Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, fee hike and the draft hostel manual which 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.

The university had hiked the double room rent from Rs 10 to Rs 300 per month, single 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.

The fee was, however, partially rolled back. Now, the room rent for single-seater rooms will be kept to Rs 600 per month, while it will be Rs 300 for those students who are from the below poverty line (BPL) category.

Similarly, the room rent for double seater rooms has been kept at Rs 300 per month for all while it is Rs 150 for eligible BPL category students.

The BPL category students will also have to pay half of the service (mess and sanitation services etc) and utility (water and electricity) charges while the other students will have to pay it in full.

The refundable mess security has been left untouched at the existing Rs 5,500 mark instead of the proposed Rs 12,000, while the other charges too have been left untouched.

The Winter Session of Parliament began today and is scheduled to go on till December 13.