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A "lunatic fringe" does not define the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said on Thursday, two days after slogans were raised by a section of students against the prime minister and the Union home minister. Pandit said that "some slogans were raised two days ago," but the university "bounced back within 24 hours." "There are lunatics in every university, and these do not define the characteristics of this varsity," she said, addressing a conference on campus. "JNU stands as the most nationalistic university in the country," she added. The university is "normal and peaceful", and the varsity runs "various narratives," she said. "JNU is a brand. We are not limited to India; even New York's mayor has mentioned us," the VC said, adding, whatever is said in JNU has a "cosmic impact." On Monday night, a group of students raised slogans against Narendra Modi and Amit Shah on the JNU campus during a protest that was held hours after the Supreme Cour
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday vowed the strictest action against students who raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a protest held to denounce the January 2020 campus violence. In a post on X, the university said, "An FIR has already been lodged in connection with the incident. The administration has vowed the strictest action against students found raising objectionable slogans against the Prime Minister and the Home Minister." The varsity said that while freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right, universities are centres of learning and innovation and cannot be allowed to become spaces for hatred. Any form of violence, unlawful conduct or activities that undermine national unity would not be tolerated, it asserted. The administration said students involved in the incident would face disciplinary action, which could include immediate suspension, expulsion, or permanent debarment. On Monday night, a gr
The Left Unity on Thursday retained its stronghold in the Jawaharlal Nehru University here, scoring a clean sweep by winning all four central panel posts in the students' union elections, the election committee said. Just a year after the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) broke a decade-long dry spell by securing the joint secretary's post in the previous JNUSU polls, the Left alliance '? comprising the All India Students' Association (AISA), Students' Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Students' Federation (DSF) '? bounced back emphatically in the 2025'?26 election, reaffirming its long-standing dominance on the campus. Aditi Mishra from AISA, contesting as the United Left's presidential candidate, defeated RSS-backed ABVP's Vikas Patel by a margin of 449 votes, polling 1,937 votes against Patel's 1,488. Mishra, who hails from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, is a PhD scholar at the Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory, School of International Studies (SIS). H
The election committee of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union on Thursday released the tentative schedule for the 2025-26 student elections, with polling scheduled for November 4 and the results on November 6. The election process will begin on October 24 with the display of the tentative voter list and commencement of corrections in it from 9 am to 5 pm. Nomination forms will be issued on October 25 between 2 pm and 5 pm. The candidates can file their nominations on October 27 from 9:30 am to 5 pm. The list of valid nominations will be displayed at 10 am on October 28, followed by the withdrawal of nominations between 2 pm and 5 pm the same day. The final list of candidates will be released by 7 pm, and a press briefing with space allotment for campaigning will follow at 8 pm. The campaign period will feature school general body meetings (GBMs) from October 29 to 31, and a university general body meeting (UGBM) on November 1. The much-awaited presidential debate will b
Leaders from Ladakh on Friday expressed anguish over the recent violence in Leh, and questioned the legality of the police firing that killed four people and left several others injured. They were speaking at a public discussion on 'Ladakh Crisis: The Battle of Identity', organised by Ladakh Students Forum at the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union office. The speakers included Leh Apex Body's (LAB) legal advisor Mustafa Haji, political activist and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) member Sajjad Kargili, and former MLA and KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai. LAB and KDA are two organisations spearheading the demand for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. "We did not get a chance to process our grief," said Haji, recalling the chaos at Leh's hospitals. "Doctors were ill-equipped to handle the situation. Some were forced to perform surgeries beyond their capabilities, and there were not enough vehicles to transfer the injured."
A Delhi court would on June 30 decide whether or not to accept a police report recommending closure of a case on the disappearance of former JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing on October 15, 2016. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Jyoti Maheshwari on Thursday posted the matter on June 30 after seeking clarifications from the CBI in the matter. The court would also decide on a protest plea filed against it by Ahmed's mother Fatima Nafees. The CBI in October 2018 closed its investigation into the case as the agency's efforts to trace Ahmed, a Master's student at JNU, yielded no results. The agency filed its closure report before the court in the case after getting permission from the Delhi High Court. Ahmed went missing from the Mahi-Mandvi hostel of JNU on October 15, 2016, following a scuffle with some students allegedly affiliated to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad the previous night. Nafees' counsel contended before the court that it was a "political case" and
Jawaharlal Nehru University has suspended an academic memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Turkiye's Inonu University, citing national security considerations, officials of the university here confirmed on Tuesday. The MoU was inked on February 3 for a period of three years. "We have suspended the MoU with Turkiye's Inonu University. Under the pact, there were plans for faculty exchange and student exchange programmes, among others," a senior JNU official told PTI. Inonu University, at Malatya in Turkiye, had entered into the academic partnership with JNU as part of efforts to boost cross-cultural research and student collaboration. The decision to suspend the MoU comes against the backdrop of tensions between India and Pakistan. The two neighbours reached an agreement on May 10 to halt military actions after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes. India's trade relation with Turkiye is expected to come under strain due to Ankara backing Islamabad and condem
A senior faculty member of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here has been dismissed over charges of sexual harassment involving a foreign researcher, an official said on Thursday. The alleged incident took place a few months ago during a university event, according to JNU sources. University officials confirmed that this was not an isolated case and several complaints against the professor had been received in the past. "This administration is committed to a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual predators, rent seekers and corrupt staff," JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit told PTI. She said the dismissal reflects the university's firm stance on campus safety and accountability. The decision was taken by the university's Executive Council -- its highest statutory body -- after a detailed internal inquiry. The victim, a Japanese researcher, was allegedly molested by the faculty member during a university event. Upon returning to Japan, the researcher filed a formal
The Delhi government will set up six new air monitoring stations at key locations, including JNU, IGNOU and Delhi Cantt, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has said. With this, the number of such stations will rise to 46. The move is part of the newly formed BJP government's strategy to expand its air monitoring infrastructure to ensure better preparedness to battle yearly smog and overall poor air quality. The stations will come up at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi Cantonment, Netaji Subhash University (West Campus), and the Commonwealth Games Sports Complex, Sirsa told PTI. "These new stations will help us track pollution patterns more accurately and guide our response with real-time data. The installation process is underway and we are targeting completion by June 30," the minister said. He said the government is addressing pollution at every level from large-scale industrial emissions to localised ...
Nine Indian universities and institutions are among world's top 50 in QS subject-wise rankings even as some of the top institutions on the list including three IITs, two IIMs and JNU saw a drop in their positions. According to the 15th edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, announced on Wednesday, India celebrates 12 top-50 positions across the subject rankings and the broad faculty areas, earned by nine institutions. Leading the way is the Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, which ranks 20th globally for Engineering-Mineral and Mining, making it the country's highest-performing subject area. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and Kharagpur have been ranked at 28th and 45th spot for Engineering-Mineral and Mining. However, both institutions have seen a drop in their positions. IIT Delhi and Bombay which shared the 45th rank for Engineering and Technology have improved their position to bag the 26th and 28th spot, respectively. The two institutions have
A fire broke out at Jawaharlal Nehru University's Godavari Hostel on Friday, fire officials said. There were no injuries reported in the blaze. Videos shared by the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) showed flames and smoke billowing from an electrical panel board. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said a fire broke out in an air-conditioning unit. "We received a call at 10.18 pm. It was a minor fire in electrical equipment. One fire tender was rushed to the site, and it took 15 minutes to douse the flames," a DFS official said. There was no immediate response from the JNU administration. In a post on X, JNUSU president Dhananjay blamed the incident on "poor safety measures" at the hostels. "The JNU administration and vice chancellor have pushed JNU students into the jaws of death. The fire in Godavari Hostel is proof of this," he said. "The JNUSU has repeatedly raised concerns about the safety and renovation of hostels with the administration, but the response has always been that the ...
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has recorded 151 sexual harassment complaints since 2017, the year its Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) replaced Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Harassment (GSCASH), according to data obtained through an RTI application. The university claims to have resolved nearly 98 per cent of these complaints, with only three cases currently under investigation. However, when asked about the nature of the complaints and the action taken against the accused, JNU refused to provide information, citing confidentiality. The decision to dismantle GSCASH in 2017 has been a contentious issue, with the JNU Students' Union and Teachers' Association consistently demanding its reinstatement. The association argue that the ICC lacks the transparency and autonomy that GSCASH provided and operates under administrative influence, undermining trust in its processes. The data shows that the highest number of cases in a single year was reported in 2018-19, with 63 ..
Students across all disciplines at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), including engineering and management, will study traditional Indian knowledge as part of a newly introduced elective course, according to varsity sources. The course will be offered across all schools and centres, with each department customising the content to suit its specific field. 'Indian Knowledge Traditions' refer to indigenous systems of knowledge developed in India over centuries, covering areas like Vedic sciences, ancient engineering, traditional medicine and philosophical texts. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been advocating for the inclusion of IKT in academic curricula as part of its efforts to acquaint students with India's intellectual heritage and values. At JNU, engineering students will study traditional practices of engineering, while management students may delve into ancient economic and administrative systems under the new course, the source said. Schools and centres will desig