JNU partially roll-back fee hike for BPL students without scholarship; Students dub it as 'eyewash', continue to strike

Facing intense agitation for over two weeks, JNU on Wednesday rolled back the hostel fee hike partially for BPL students not availing any scholarship, a move which failed to satisfy agitating students who dubbed it as an "eyewash", and decided to continue with the strike.

The decision was taken at the varsity's 283rd Executive Council (EC) meeting, HRD Secretary R Subrahmanyam announced while asking the protesting students to resume classes.

The EC meeting was shifted outside the campus at the last moment fearing trouble by agitators. On Monday, the students had gheraoed AICTE building, the venue for varsity's convocation, forcing Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal to stay put for six hours.

The students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have been demanding withdrawal of service charges of Rs 1,700 which were introduced from next session and the one-time mess security fee, which is refundable, has been hiked from Rs 5,500 to Rs 12,000.

As per the decision, there is no change in the fee for non-BPL category students as well as BPL students availing a scholarship.

The students awail two types of scholarship---JRF and SRF. While the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) scholars are awarded Rs 31, 000 the Senior Research Fellows are awarded 35,000.

The EC also decided to remove the provisions for curfew timings and dress code from the hostel manual as demanded by students.

"JNU Executive Committee announces major rollback in the hostel fee and other stipulations. Also proposes a scheme for economic assistance to the EWS students. Time to get back to classes,"Subrahmanyam had tweeted.

However, the students' union of the varsity rejected the move as a "sham propaganda" and "selective usage of facts".

"We reject this sham propoganda and selective usage of facts which is an eyewash. The HRD secretary while announcing the so-called roll back has the arrogance to advise us to: 'go back to classes'. With the fee hike still in place, not only students will be going out of classes but also out of JNU," the student union said in a statement.

The agitation will continue, it added.

The varsity's teachers association also termed the changes as "cosmetic".

A JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) representative said, "there is a no roll-back but only cosmetic changes have been made."
"Students who are found outside their respective hostel premises after the stipulated time and involving in any violence or otherwise disturbing the peace on campus and privacy of JNU community will be evicted from hostel forthwith apart from any other disciplinary action by the University."