JNU: Delhi High Court allows registration as per old hostel manual

New Delhi: In what may be considered to be a massive victory for the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) and a setback for the varsity's administration, the Delhi High Court on Friday directed that the students who were yet to register for the winter semester examinations be now allowed to register for the exams at the old fee-slab, with the single-judge bench of Justice Rajiv Shakhder remarking that "government has to fund public education".

The court was hearing a plea filed by JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh and other office-bearers of the student body challenging the Inter Hostel Administration (IHA) meeting where the revised hostel manual was passed. The students maintain that the meeting where the amendments to the fee-structure were made was arbitrary and illegal as it did not include their representatives in the discussion.

Justice Shakhder also issued a notice to the JNU administration to file its reply to the petition within two weeks, directing that no late fee be charged from students who would now register under the earlier fee structure. The court also cleared the air on room allocation for reserved category students, saying that the matter should be dealt with as per the hostel manual prior to the October 2019 revision.

Justice Shakhder also expressed concern over the JNU administration's refusal to engage with the students, saying: "You cannot say that you will not engage... that's my concern."

Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand was opposing the plea in court and argued that 90 per cent students had already registered under the increased fee-slab, to which the court stated: "When you don't have a choice, what do you do?"

When Anand, however, opposed the court's suggestion of putting a temporary stay on the revised fee structure by claiming that there were concerns about paying salaries of the university employees, Justice Shakhder said: "Government cannot get out of education... responsibility to pay salaries cannot be on the students... someone has to find the funds."

The court also directed for the impleadment of the HRD Ministry and the University Grants Commission (UGC) as parties to the petition. The court has posted the matter next for February 28.