Admin stripping students of their basic rights: NSUI’s Pradeep Dhaka

Ahead of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students’ union elections, the Indian National Congress (INC)-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has accused the administration of stripping students of their rights. The NSUI has levelled the allegation even as it engages in a power struggle with the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Left in the run-up to the elections that are followed by students, parties and the general public across the country.

In conversation with Patriot, NSUI’s presidential candidate for the JNU elections, Pradeep Dhaka, outlined several pressing concerns faced by students on campus — including fee hikes, caste and gender discrimination, and the shrinking of student spaces.

What is your key vision for JNU if elected as students’ union president on an NSUI ticket?

Our vision at NSUI is to unite the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) against those who seek to disrupt peace and harmony on campus. The Congress party has consistently stood firm on the principles of secularism, social justice, and democracy. Today, the Indian National Congress (INC) is leading from the front, with other opposition parties rallying behind it. If elected, our aim is to foster an environment of love, peace, and mutual respect among students from all communities at JNU.

What steps will you take to ensure education remains affordable and accessible, especially for students from marginalised communities?

NSUI is committed to fighting for affordable and accessible education for every student, especially those from marginalised communities. We will organise protests, lead student movements, and actively raise student voices against any unjust policies.

We are particularly focused on addressing the issue of the extremely high fee structure in the School of Engineering. NSUI will fight to ensure that the fees are reduced and made more accessible for all students, regardless of their background.

Education is a right, not a privilege. We will not allow financial barriers to deny anyone the opportunity to learn and grow at JNU.

What initiatives do you plan to introduce to make JNU a more inclusive space for students from all backgrounds, including gender, caste, and region?

NSUI will take the lead in building a truly inclusive JNU.

We will organise mass-level workshops on gender sensitisation to combat misogynistic attitudes and create a campus culture that respects all genders.

We will also conduct caste sensitisation programmes to challenge discrimination and ensure that every student — regardless of caste, gender, or region — feels safe, heard, and empowered at JNU.

How do you plan to address the rising concerns about campus safety and student welfare?

The fear-mongering narrative — “elect us or ABVP will come to power” — has allowed the administration to quietly curtail student rights without any real resistance. Earlier, students could freely engage in discussions, even informally after dinner in the mess. Today, spaces like the canteen and other common areas are increasingly being restricted, limiting students’ right to protest, express themselves, and hold open conversations.

Unfortunately, the currently elected Left-wing leadership has failed to defend these rights. They have remained silent as the administration continues to clamp down on student freedoms.

If elected, NSUI will make it a priority to reclaim these spaces for students. We will fight to restore the democratic environment that JNU is known for — where students can gather, discuss, protest, and express themselves without fear. Student welfare and campus safety come from empowering students, not silencing them — and that will be at the heart of our efforts.

What is your stance on hostel fee hikes, and what action will you take regarding student accommodation issues?

NSUI firmly opposes hostel fee hikes, as affordable and accessible accommodation is a fundamental right for students, not a privilege. We will lead a strong student movement against any attempt to increase hostel fees, which would only add to the burden on students, especially those from marginalised communities.

The Bara Hostel issue clearly reflects the administration’s failure — despite building a new hostel, it remains underutilised due to poor facilities and mismanagement. Furthermore, the earlier policy of allotting hostels immediately to SC/ST students at the time of admission was scrapped three to four years ago, undermining JNU’s commitment to social justice.

NSUI will fight to reinstate this policy, demand transparency and fairness in hostel allotments, fully equip and operationalise the Bara Hostel, and ensure that no unjust fee hikes are imposed. Hostels are not just accommodations; they are spaces that shape the social and academic life of students, and NSUI is committed to protecting them.

How do you plan to address concerns around the student–teacher ratio and irregularities in faculty appointments?

The dismantling of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) by the administration has seriously damaged the academic standards of JNU. There are clear irregularities in the current faculty hiring processes. JNU was established as a premier research institution, where professors were traditionally PhD-qualified. However, the administration is now appointing even Master’s degree holders as faculty, which undermines the academic strength and reputation of a research-focused university like JNU.

NSUI will actively work to resolve these issues by raising the students’ voice and demanding the immediate reinstatement of the IQAC. We will ensure that hiring processes are made transparent, merit-based, and in line with JNU’s founding vision — where academic excellence and research remain the highest priorities.

How will you uphold JNU’s tradition of political debate while preventing polarisation and campus violence?

JNU has always been a space for ideas, not violence. However, today both ABVP and the Left are fuelling polarisation and using violence for their own political gains.

NSUI is committed to protecting the democratic spirit of debate at JNU. We will create platforms where political differences are expressed through discussion, not through clashes. Our goal is to bring the focus back to ideas, issues, and student welfare — not violence and fear.

What is your take on the breakdown of the United Left alliance?

The breakdown of the United Left alliance is a positive development. For a long time, the unity among Left-wing parties created an atmosphere of fear among students, pushing the narrative that if they didn’t vote for the Left, ABVP would take over and disrupt peace and harmony on campus. However, after coming to power, the Left parties gradually distanced themselves from real, ground-level work.

Also Read: Broken promises and crumbling buildings: JNU students voice grievances ahead of union elections

In the upcoming elections, only the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) have maintained an alliance, while the SFI, the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA), the All India Students’ Federation (AISF), and the Progressive Students’ Association (PSA) have attempted to form a new front. This division will push them to reconnect with students and work at the grassroots — something NSUI has consistently been doing for the welfare of the JNU student community.