HC seeks JNU reply on students' plea challenging formulation of GRC

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a response of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on a plea by many students, including former office bearers of the students' union, challenging the formulation of the Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC) by the varsity.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva issued a notice to the JNU, the GRC and the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) on the petition which sought reformulation of the GRC and also to quash all the orders, recommendations and directions passed by the panel from July 30 till now.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on November 7.

The petition said as per J M Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, the GRC is to be constituted with a senior faculty member and two final year students, a boy and a girl.

It said the current GRC, which was constituted on July 30, does not have two final year students and the faculty member nominated by the panel is an assistant professor, not a senior faculty member.

Advocate Tishampati Sen, representing the petitioner students, said the GRC has been acting suo motu without any complaint being received relating to the election process.

He said GRC was formed in violation of the Lyngdoh Committee Recommendations and it has gone outside the limits provided for it.

Petitioner students Priyanka Balwant Kale, Amuta Jayadeep, N Sai Balaji, Sarika Chaudhary and Aejaz Ahmad Rather sought that the present GRC be restrained from passing any orders or recommendations in its present formulation.