Section of JNU teachers urges students to end protests, get back to academics

Amidst the ongoing protests by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) over the hike in hostel fee and other demands, a section of teachers from the university urged students to end their protest and get back to academics.

"The way the issue started is with the proposed hike in the hostel fees and over the implementation of some hostel rules by the administration. Following the students' response, we had an Executive Committee (EC) meeting where after a detailed discussion the EC decided to extend some concessions to the BPL category students and to not hike the security deposit. The dress code and curfew timings were removed by the EC in the meeting," said a teacher from the university at a press conference here.

"It is now difficult for the administration to extend further concessions and therefore on its behalf we are here to appeal to the students to get back to academics as the exams are fast approaching and it will be detrimental for the future of all students," he added.

Appealing to the students he said, "I request them to end these strikes, restore normalcy and allow the students to conduct the exams on time, otherwise they will be the biggest members on the long run."

Earlier yesterday, the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar had said the academic activities have greatly suffered in the past two weeks due to the protests and urged the students to end their strike.

"During the last two weeks, the academic activities in the university have suffered greatly because some students are on strike. I have been receiving several e-mails from students and their parents expressing their concern over the loss of academic activities," said Kumar.

The administration had also issued a circular urging them to join the academic work.

The students of the varsity have been protesting for over the past two weeks against the recently introduced hostel manual, which imposes a hiked hostel fee and other restrictions.