New Delhi: In what is a step of no small significance, students of 14 Centres of Jawaharlal Nehru University have decided to boycott the final semester examinations in protest against the hike in hostel fees, say reports.
Indian Express has quoted JNU’s students’ union as having said that the 14 Centres arrived at the decision to boycott the exams at their respective general body meetings.
A report by IANS, however, quotes JNU administration as having said that the university exams will begin as scheduled on December 12 and that the authorities are not beyond “removing students from rolls if they do not meet the academic requirements” in these exams.
Faculty members, too, have been reportedly asked to ensure that students fulfil the academic demands of the semester.
Also read: JNU’s Four Subversions: A Primer For the Anxious Right-Wing Citizen
The MA exams were originally scheduled on November 30, but were reportedly postponed after no students sat for them. MPhil and PhD synopsis presentations which were to be held on November 25-26 were also boycotted.
According to the Express report, more schools and centres – which function as departments under the university – will decide on whether to boycott the exams in the days to come.
No centre has decided against the boycott yet, mentioned the report, which further lists centres of various language studies, along with those on historical studies, social medicine and community health, arts and aesthetics, law and governance, political science and so on have decided to support the boycott.
In spite of JNU’s past of thriving students’ protests and political participation, the university has not seen an examination boycott yet.
Meanwhile, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association on Monday staged a march to demand that the report of a high-powered committee set up by the Centre on the fee hike issue be made public. They started their march from Janpath but police stopped them near Shastri Bhawan.
The fee hike for JNU hostels has seen protests from students, teachers and alumni alike. A protest march on November 11 met with violence from police and injured several students.