JNU V-C addresses students' concerns over UGC notification

Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, along with other senior officials, met the agitating students in the administrative building of the varsity after they called off their blockade. Further, the V-C addressed their concerns over the University Grants Commission Gazette Notification 2016 and clearly stated that the notification will not be applied retrospectively.

The V-C explained to the students that the UGC notification will be binding to all the universities and it carried no scope of alteration. The students were told that the constitutional provisions regarding reservation of seats for various categories will not be violated and that the relaxation of marks given to students in the scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and persons with disabilities categories will remain in the new admission policy.

Moreover, the students were informed that there would be an increased number of quartile districts, resulting in addition of students from more than 30 districts in India for deprivation points. Kumar made it clear to the students that the inclusion of Research Methodology in entrance test was a part of the UGC Notification and not the JNU administration's decision.

Later, the administration claimed that the existing number of seats in the BA, MA, M Sc and MTech programmes will remain the same and the number of vacancies in the MPhil and PhD programmes will depend on the vacancies available.