Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students ended their 17-day hunger strike on October 20 after negotiations with the university administration. The administration’s assurances include revoking the rustication of five student office-bearers, withdrawing FIRs and proctorial inquiries, removing fines imposed on students, and reviewing the Chief Proctor’s Office (CPO) manual on staging demonstrations. The discussions also covered restoring a platform for student organisations, reconstituting Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment, and student representation on the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). The university also promised to address hostel infrastructure, library timings, reopening a canteen and forming committees to address student concerns. Students now await formal orders and clarity on how the university will implement these commitments.
The dispute follows disciplinary action taken against students in February last year. Several students, including members of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) and other student organisations, faced cases and penalties linked to campus protests. Students questioned the basis for the administration’s proceedings against them, particularly when their individual involvement in the protests was not clearly established.
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CPO Manual
Hardik, a PhD scholar in German philosophy and a member of the Democratic Students’ Federation, said disciplinary action had extended to students whose involvement in protests was not always clear. He cited instances in which security personnel photographed students at protest sites and forwarded the images to the Vice-Chancellor’s office.
“Suppose a protest is taking place and you are standing at a distance, just watching. Security guards come and photograph you, and those pictures go directly to the Vice-Chancellor’s office. A few days later, you learn that action has been initiated against you and that you must pay a fine. Something similar happened recently during a protest over a mess-related issue. Students protested, took photographs and sent them to the VC’s office,” Hardik said.
The students’ demand for a review of the CPO manual is linked to concerns over the procedures used to initiate disciplinary proceedings. The settlement includes an assurance that the manual will be reviewed.
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Platform restoration
The restoration of a platform associated with the student organisation was another issue discussed during the negotiations. Hardik said the administration had provided a stamped copy to restore it and agreed to form multiple committees to examine the matter and related concerns.
“There has been a commitment to bring back the platform. The discussions also included forming multiple committees mentioned in our demands to look into student-related concerns and other associated issues,” he said.
However, the composition of the proposed committees, their terms of reference and the timeline for their work have not been confirmed yet.
The assurances announced by JNUSU also cover several issues concerning students’ everyday needs and access to university facilities.
The administration has committed to making geysers functional in all hostels within two weeks of the meeting. JNUSU has described this as a time-bound commitment and said it will hold the administration accountable for meeting the deadline.
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The administration has also agreed to reopen the CSLG canteen. JNUSU will follow up on the necessary arrangements to ensure that the facility is restored without unnecessary delay.
Another assurance concerns school libraries, which the administration has agreed to keep open until 9 PM. The agreed timings are expected to be implemented across all relevant school libraries to ensure students have adequate time to study and access academic resources.
The administration has agreed to form a committee to address establishing the Barak Hostel mess and providing Wi-Fi facilities. These issues concern essential services for hostel residents. JNUSU has demanded that the process move forward urgently, although it has not yet confirmed a timeline for forming the committee or implementing its recommendations.
Hostel allotment issues
JNUSU has repeatedly raised concerns about the faulty implementation of reservation policies in the hostel allotment process, which it says has delayed accommodation for students from marginalised backgrounds.
Following the students’ struggle, the administration has agreed to form a committee, including JNUSU office-bearers, to examine the discrepancies. JNUSU said it will seek an early resolution and ensure proper implementation of reservation policies in the hostel allotment process.
The negotiations also addressed demands raised by the Equality Opportunity Cell, including enacting the Rohith Act for Dalit and SC/ST students, withdrawing FIRs against JNUSU members, and removing fines imposed on students.
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The discussions also covered student representation in the ICC and the reconstitution of GS-CASH, the university’s former gender-sensitisation body. The proposed changes concern the university’s mechanisms for addressing sexual harassment complaints and gender-related grievances.
Awaiting implementation
JNUSU members told Patriot that they are waiting for the administration to initiate the next steps. They also raised concerns about the lack of clarity in official communication regarding disciplinary proceedings, including the grounds for action and the status of individual cases.
The members said students would assess the administration’s response before deciding whether to intensify pressure. The union is awaiting formal decisions on the agreed demands.
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The administration has assured the union it will withdraw fines and revoke rustication orders. However, the administration has not yet issued formal orders confirming the implementation of these decisions. Students have received a stamped document related to the agreement. Still, no official notice detailing the implementation of the agreed measures has been issued or published on the university’s online website so far.
No Response from administration
Patriot contacted the university administration for comment on implementing the assurances but received no response till the time of publication.
Formal confirmation regarding the rustication orders, FIRs, proctorial inquiries, CPO manual review, committee formation, ICC representation and reconstruction of GS-CASH is still awaited.
Updates on the commitments concerning hostel facilities, the CSLG canteen, library timings, Barak Hostel mess and Wi-Fi facilities, and hostel reservation issues are also pending. While the 17-day hunger strike has ended, the implementation of the agreed measures remains unconfirmed without official communication from the university body.
