Basics our priority: HRD calls JNU students, officials today

New Delhi: The HRD Ministry is set to make another attempt at bringing the students and administration of JNU to the negotiating table to end the standoff that started almost three months ago over a fee hike. The Ministry has, however, ruled out the removal of Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar.

Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare said that the Ministry will meet officials and members-elect of the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) Friday to clarify issues that have arisen "because the two sides do not have proper communication".

Asked about demands for the V-C's removal, Khare said: "The basic issue on which the whole problem has arisen needs to be addressed first. Changing X, Y or Z is not as important as resolving the issues that have come up."

Khare spoke to reporters Thursday after meeting a delegation of JNUSU and JNU Teachers' Association for close to two hours. Following the meeting, a group of students expressed dissatisfaction over the outcome and attempted to march towards Rashtrapati Bhavan but were dispersed by police who resorted to a mild lathicharge.

Meanwhile, former HRD Minister and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi called for the V-C's sacking. In a tweet, he wrote: "Reports are that the HRD ministry had twice advised the JNU VC to implement certain reasonable and working formula for resolving the issue of enhanced fees in JNU. He was also advised to reach out to the teachers and students. It is shocking that the VC is adamant for not implementing the government proposal. This attitude is deplorable and in my opinion such a VC should not be allowed to continue on this post."

Joshi is the first BJP leader to have spoken out against the V-C since Sunday's violence on campus, and his comments come four days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on him on his 86th birthday.

The last attempt at arriving at a compromise between the students and the university ended with the transfer of the then higher education secretary R Subrahmanyam.

The Indian Express reported Thursday that within 48 hours of the V-C being given an ultimatum to either accept the compromise formula devised by the Ministry or resign, Subrahmanyam himself was shunted out.

On Thursday's meeting, Khare said: "They (the students) had a lot of grievances regarding the university. We will again be calling the university administration tomorrow to tell them that they should implement the earlier understanding… Students have been called at 3 pm, and we have told them that we are open for discussion. We are definitely of the view that JNU, as a premier institution, should return to normalcy."

Asked about the V-C's reluctance to interact with agitating students, Khare said Kumar has been asked to reach out to all stakeholders. "Any student, whatever his or her affiliation, they are our students," he said, adding that the Ministry is meeting members-elect of JNUSU even though it hasn't been recognised by the university administration.

(Inputs and image from The IndianExpress)