Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
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Contents |
Admission policy
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.
Campus
Rock carvings
See Delhi: J for more about the 'mediaeval' rock carvings discovered in the JNU campus.
Student: professor ratio
HC upholds student: professor ratio/ 2017
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.
HC questions JNU’s student-teacher ratio/ 2018
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi:
The Delhi high court on Thursday questioned the logic behind JNU’s student-teacher ratio after it tightened norms for admission to MPhil and PhD courses.
HC’s observations came after Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) said there are 399 students enrolled for its MPhil and PhD courses, whereas its faculty strength is over 500 teachers.
“You have tightened your norms, so the intake has dried up. At this rate, JNU is going to be a unique university where there would be three to four teachers for every one student,” a bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and A K Chawla pointed out.
HC also questioned the minimum cap set by JNU on number of students per research supervisor for MPhil and PhD courses in various subjects, saying this will “shut down teaching.”
Under the new admission norms, there is a cap, and reduction in seats because of a UGC regulation. The move had led to a series of agitations in the varsity by the students. It had also led to petitions filed in court challenging the new rules. On Thursday, HC reserved its verdict on a plea by the Students Federation of India (SFI) challenging the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations on the eligibility and manner of admission to MPhil and PhD courses in the country.
In its defence, JNU argued that the teachers often go on sabbatical or worked on books or articles. But the bench was not satisfied and remarked that “on one hand you don’t want to spend on students, but you are willing to spend on teachers... Let them go, if they are not going to work.”
Convocations
1972
The Jawaharlal Nehru University is set to host its second convocation after an interval of 46 years. The university’s one and only such event — in 1972 — is best known for the controversy it stirred due to a “radical speech” given by the then students’ union president, V C Koshy.
The union had earlier refused to allow any “outsider” to give a speech on the campus, and had relented only when actor Balraj Sahni, known for his leaning towards the Left, was invited.
S C Garkoti, JNU rector-II, on Monday said the latest plan to revive the convocation was an effort towards “celebrating the positive aspects of the university”. He told TOI: “We will distribute awards to PhD students and send them off in a dignified manner.” The date for the event is yet to be finalised, but it is likely to take place in the last week of February. “We want to encourage students to have a proper send-off and not submit their PhD theses and di
