Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
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Rock carvings
See Delhi: J for more about the 'mediaeval' rock carvings discovered in the JNU campus.
Admission policy
HC upholds student: professor ratio
Students' plea against admission policy junked, March 17, 2017: The Times of India
The JNU administration on Thursday won a major relief from the Delhi high court when it dismissed a plea by students challenging its latest admission policy of putting a cap on number of students per professor for MPhil and PhD courses.
Justice V K Rao said that the varsity's admission norms have to follow the University Grants Commission (UGC) notification of last year and it cannot deviate from these norms.
HC observed that “the binding nature of the said regulations is not dependent upon it being adopted or accepted by the respondent university or any other university in the country . In other words, the regulations are binding on the university by operation of law, i.e., UGC Act of 1956.“
The students had claimed that proper procedure was not followed by JNU while adopting the UGC notification but the court rejected this argument and reminded the students that the UGC Act, under which the regulation was issued, has been enacted by Parliament and prevails over any individual rules or Act framed by the university laying down procedure of admission.
The students had submitted that the regulation only sets out minimum standards to be followed and it was for JNU to decide how to implement them. But HC noted that “The UGC having framed the regulations, vide the notification of 2016, the varsity is required to follow the same. It is legally impermissible for JNU to formulate its own admission policy in violation of UGC Act and the regulations,“ it said.
HC, however, agreed that JNU's decision to change the weightage, for admission to the two courses, in the ratio of 80:20 of written and viva voce, was a deviation from the regulations and could not have been allowed, a stand that was later accepted by the administration during arguments.
JNU had maintained in court that the UGC Notification (Regulations) shall apply to every university established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act etc, and is binding and is mandatorily to be followed by all universities including JNU.
2017-18 norms
See graphic.
"The deprivation point model"
Manash Gohain, JNU may drop deprivation points, Mar 19, 2017: The Times of India
The Delhi high court dismissed JNU students' plea against the University Grants Commission's (UGC) notification and said that the commission's guidelines are “binding“ on all universities without any “deviation“. This would mean that the unique feature of the JNU admission policy -the deprivation point model -will no longer be applicable to admissions to research programmes, said a senior JNU official.
According to UGC norms, 100% weightage should be given to viva-voce (oral exam) for admissions to MPhil and PhD courses. JNU currently follows 70:30 weightage for the written test and the interview.
“... the binding nature of the said regulations is not dependent upon it being adopted or accepted by the respondent university or any other university in the country . In other words, the (UGC) regulations are binding on the university by operation of law, i.e., UGC Act, 1956,“ the court said.
Following protests by students against the oral exam, the JNU administration negotiated and agreed for 80% weightage for the written exam. But, with the court's verdict, even this model will not be possible, the official said.
This would mean doing away with the deprivation point model, which facilitates entry of students, especially women from backward regions. In fact, 26 more districts were included in the scheme and aspirants from these regions would get an additional five points, the official added.
Student leaders, however, are planning to move the court against Thursday's verdict. Mohit Pandey , president, JNUSU said, “The university counsel has not placed the complete facts about the notification on admission policy before court. Therefore, we don't agree with the verdict and will move the division bench.“
The university officials, however, said that the deprivation point model will continue for the undergraduate and masters' programmes.
“We tried to bring out the most inclusive policy within the given framework, but the students didn't cooperate with us and moved the court.Now, the university has no option but to implement the UGC notification in letter and spirit,“ said another senior official.
Untoward incidents
Note: JNU remains India’s finest seat of higher learning and research in the social sciences. Its campus is quite peaceful and safe. The incidents mentioned below represent less than 1 per cent of JNU’s students. Therefore, it is unfortunate that the first entries about JNU on Indpaedia are about the seamier side. Indpaedia is unlikely to start accepting articles directly from its readers before 2014 or 2015. Till then JNU alumni, students and others can send articles/ paragraphs about the positive side of JNU as messages to facebook
'Different’ JNU loses sheen/ 2013
Cases Of Ragging, MMS Scandals, Clashes Haunt Campus
Manash Pratim Gohain TNN
The Times of India 2013/08/01
New Delhi: It always prided itself on being ‘different’ but recent cases of ragging, alleged rape, MMS scandals and clashes with cops have dented Jawaharlal Nehru University’s image. The July 2013 incident has shocked everyone associated with the university, and many see it as a low point that calls for introspection and action.
PREVIOUS CASES/ 2009-13
July 2013: Student, a jilted lover, tries to murder girl and then commits suicide
Jun 3, 2013: An alumnus held on allegation of rape of a student in Narmada hostel
Jun 3, 2012: MMS scandal
Feb 11, 2011: Porn CD scandal; 2 students expelled
Nov 23, 2009: Students clash with cops after a student was allegedly molested by outsiders
Aug 13: First incident of ragging where an MCA student lodged a complaint and university officials caught seniors red-handed
Spurt in molestation, stalking cases in JNU/ 2011-13
Raj Shekhar TNN
The Times of India 2013/08/01
Police say, JNU campus is not a particularly safe place. What’s worrying is the recent upswing in cases of molestation and stalking. Some gun-runners had confessed to delivering country-made pistols near Delhi University and JNU campuses to people who looked like students.
Sources say crimes against woman are frequently reported from the campus now.
In June 2013, a JNU alumnus was arrested for allegedly molesting and trying to rape a 21-year-old student inside Narmada Hostel after a party.
In June 2013, an English literature student was allegedly molested by two students of her class inside Lohit Hostel. A case of molestation was registered at Vasant Kunj police station and two men, Rajiv Kumar and Gautam Vashishth, were arrested. Recently, a 57-year-old canteen incharge was also arrested.
A foreign student had also alleged molestation on the campus. The girl was friendly with the accused, a PhD student. On the day the alleged incident occurred, she had lunch with him in his room before he molested her.
In October 2013, a PhD scholar at JNU’s School of Languages was suspended after he allegedly molested a girl inside a university hostel. The Vasant Vihar police registered a case. “The victim was a history student at DU and claimed she was invited to the accused’s room in JNU’s Brahmaputra Hostel where she was locked up and molested,” a police source said.
In November 2011, a 35-year-old PhD scholar was arrested for allegedly molesting his 14-year-old domestic help. The girl, who was from Odisha, worked for and lived with Mohammed Azimuddin and his wife at JNU’s Mahanadi Hostel.
Student violence during AC meeting?/ 2016
PTI, PROBE SOUGHT - JNU teachers allege violence during council meeting Oct 11 2016
A section of JNU teachers has accused the students union members of resorting to violence while a discussion on introduction of courses in yoga and Indian culture was going on at the academic council meeting last week.
They also alleged that the union members had attacked a teacher, who did not wish to be identified, during the meeting. The students union, however, denied the allegations.
“They shouted intimidatory and belligerent slogans to threaten, destroy and kill the professor. They had gone so berserk and unbridled that they banged the (professor's) car with the intention to injure or physically abuse the faculty,“ the teachers said in a complaint to the vicechancellor. When JNU security personnel tried to make way for the teacher's car, the students lay on the road to stop the vehicle, they claimed.
The professor has also filed a police complaint at Vasant Kunj north police station.
Sexual Harassment
2015: services of an assistant professor terminated
The Times of India Dec 22 2015
Jawaharlal Nehru University on Monday terminated services of an assistant professor after a varsity inquiry committee found him guilty in a case of alleged sexual harassment filed by a foreign scholar pursuing research under him.
The decision was taken at an emergent meeting of Jawaharlal Nehru University's Executive Council, the varsity's statutory decision making body .
The complainant was pursuing research under the professor's supervision.
“A research scholar, working under the supervision of the professor, had alleged that she was sexually abused by the professor.Subsequently , an inquiry was instituted by the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH), the university watchdog for dealing with such issues,“ an official source said.
Sexual harassment complaints: 2015-16
At JNU, record sexual abuse plaints last yr, Oct 04 2016 : The Times of India
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) received 39 complaints of sexual harassment in the 2015-16 academic year, highest in the university's history.
Apart from a gradual increase in the number of complaints in recent years, the university has been at the centre of controversy recently with complaints and FIRs being lodged against JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) office bearers, including its president.
The report was submitted to the University Grants Commission (UGC) recently . In 2014-15, the university had received 26 sexual harassment complaints and in 2013-14, the number was 25.
According to the 2015-16 annual report of Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment, a central body which deals with complaints of this nature from all university departments, 42 complaints were received between January , 2015 and March, 2016.
Fees
2017/ Entrance fees hiked, after 13 years, by 27%
After 13 yrs, JNU hikes entrance fees by 27%, Jan 23, 2017: The Times of India
JNU aspirants will now have to shell out more money to appear for the varsity's entrance examination as the fees for it have been increased by 27% from the upcoming academic session.
According to officials of the varsity's admission department, a decision in this regard was taken at a recent meeting of the academic council followed by the executive council.
However, the hike will not be applicable to candidates of reserved categories including SCST, physically disabled and Below Poverty Line.
“The fees for the entrance examination has been increa sed after 13 years. Prior to this, the fees structure was revised in 2003,“ an official said. “General Category , OBC students and applicants from abroad will also have to pay according to the new fees structure,“ he added.
Earlier, the application fees for BA programme was Rs 420, and for choosing one and additional programmes was Rs 630 and 800 respectively . Now, it has been hiked upto Rs 530, Rs 800 and Rs 1,000. Similarly , fees for MPhil, PhD, MTech, MSc, MCA and MA programmes, which were Rs 300 are now Rs 400.For additional disciplines, the candidates will have to pay Rs 575 and Rs 750 respectively.
Staff
Professors
2017: 2nd chief proctor resigns within a year
Jan 25 2017, The Times of India
JNU chief proctor professor A P Dimri resigned on January 23 over alleged contentions with the vice-chancellor and other members of the university administration.
Dimri of the School of Environmental Sciences had investigated the assault on Najeeb Ahmed who has been missing since October 15.He had sent show-cause notices to four students, also members of ABVP . When contacted, Dimri confirmed his resignation but refused to spell out the reasons for it. Registrar Pramod Kumar, too, confirmed it and said Dimri “is one of the best academicians of our institutions and he may have resigned to focus more on his academic activities“. But sources close to Dimri said he was unhappy with the administration's behaviour. “He felt that the administration should introspect why the students have been continuously protesting ever since the VC was appointed. He believes JNU is known for a certain character and if the administration curbs the voices then the very character of the university would be jeopardi sed,“ said a source.
This is the second such instance of a chief proctor resigning at JNU in one year. Krishna Kumar had resigned as chief proctor after the February 9, 2016, controversy .
Teacher: student ration
2017/ Many Teachers Have More Students Than UGC Regulations
Manash Gohain, PG scholars in JNU not evenly allotted, Feb 10 2017 : The Times of India
Many Teachers Have More Students Than What UGC Regulations Permit
There are 89 professors in Jawaharlal Nehru University who are guiding 10 or more PhD candidates. Incredibly, 15 of them have 20 or more scholars under their wing. Not only is this against the University Grants Commission's stipulation of a professor guiding only eight doctorate students, but this is also highly skewed given that 191 other professors lead less than the mandated number.This was among the many glaring anomalies that the university revealed on Thursday to counter allegations that it was attempting to reduce the intake of research students.
For some time now, students have been charging the JNU administration with trying to reduce the number of seats available for research.“The administration has finally made it clear that it is all out to close admissions to the MPhil PhD programmes. The number of intake for the upcoming admissions, which are in violation of the appro ved intake decided in the Academic Council and according to court orders, have been re leased,“ alleged Pratim Ghoshal, JNU student and member of Democratic Students Forum (DSF).
Countering this, university officials claimed that the intake had been altered “within the prescribed norms“ to avoid the imbalance in the allotment of research scholars to each teacher. “MPhil and PhD are research programmes, so UGC decides the number of students a faculty can guide,“ explained M Jagadesh Kumar, vice-chancellor.“The policy dates back to 2009. A professor can guide eight PhD students, associate professors, six, and assistant professors, four scholars. But in our university , some teacher guide over 20 PhD students, even as some do not have a single PhD student. This imbalance is not good for the quality of research.“
The university data showed 15 assistant professors -allowed one MPhil and four PhD candidates -were in charge of five or more MPhil scholars and 44 had “extra“ PhD scholars. Thirteen of them had 10 or more PhD candidates, with one teacher guiding 23 PhD students. Among associate professors, 17 were guides to more than 10 PhD candidates and 19 to five or more MPhil students. This, when 69 associate professors did not have the stipulated MPhil numbers under their wing and 95 did not have the quota of six PhD scholars.
Will this imbalance affect the number of seats in the university? The vice-chancellor denied any step to reduce seats, but said that for the time being only those teachers who have vacancies will be allowed to enrol students.
“If a professor has more than 25 scholars, they will continue and complete their PhD programme under his her guidance,“ said Kumar.But if another professor has two instead of eight students, then he she can take six students. We aim to encourage the faculty to fill up these vacancies.“
Why JNU is so political
The Times of India, Mar 02 2016
Shreya Roychowdhury
Jawaharlal Nehru University was never going to be Delhi University. An unusual admission policy adopted soon after its establishment has ensured its very DNA is different. It also explains the diversity of its students’ union and why it makes nearly every struggle—Vemula, northeast, Kashmir, adivasis, dams and nuclear plants—its business. Students, teachers and even members of the administration agree that JNU ultimately owes much of its politics and its atmosphere, to “deprivation points” awarded to candidates from backward districts, women, transgender, Kashmiri migrants and those from defence backgrounds.
Census data is studied to draw up a list of districts according to literacy rates, percentage of non-agricultural workers, even “agricultural productivity per hectare”; these are divided into “quartiles” one and two with points assigned.
As AISA chief Sucheta De observes, in JNU, affirmative action begins even before reservation.
“There is representation of every part of India. And each group brings its own idea of the nation and nationalism,” observes V Lenin Kumar, former JNUSU president who was ousted from SFI for disagreeing with CPI(M)’s stand on Pranab Mukherjee’s candidature for presidency and Nandigram.
The 27% OBC reservation has also contributed to JNU’s uniqueness. Incidentally, the All India Backward Students’ Front, established to fight for implementation of this quota, also organised “Mahishasur Shahadat Divas”. According to the administration, women account for 57% of the student population on the campus.
There are 141 quartile-I districts—most backward—with the largest numbers in Bihar, Odisha and Chhattisgarh; and 144 in quartile-II. Some states, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Mizoram, have only Quartile II districts.
“You will find students from Kalahandi (Odisha) as well as from St Stephen’s,” says former JNUSU vice-president Anant Prakash. The present general secretary, Rama Naga, is from Kalahandi while president Kanhaiya Kumar hails from Bihar. “Over the years we’ve had supporters of Godse, Charu Majumdar, Naga separatists, Manipuri rebels and Assam’s ULFA,” says Anand Kumar who has studied and taught at JNU.
And the different groups have always found ways to settle their differences without writing, as AISF’s Aparajitha Raja puts it, “squealing letters” or ministers wading in.
