NAAC team snubs JNUSU during campus review

NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union president Geeta Kumari on Wednesday hit out at the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) after a team of the council reportedly did not meet student representative to know about infrastructural problems in the campus.

Wednesday was the last day of a three-day annual review visit by an NAAC team to the varsity. The review was monitored by varsity officials and the entire campus was beautified with flower pots.

"However, no team member met student representatives to discuss run-down hostels and dumpy toilets," Kumari stated.

"The members were led around the campus and shown spots beautified for the purpose. The JNUSU did not get an invitation to meet the visiting team. Many students were invited selectively from science streams and most were effusive in their praise for the Vice-Chancellor, except a few from the School for Arts and Aesthetics, which happens to come under 'sciences'," she added.

Kumari also said that hostel buildings are in need of immediate repair. "Hostel bathrooms are in miserable condition, very old and with malfunctioning flushing systems and no water. The NAAC team should consider this and think how we can do research in such conditions," she added.

She said the newly elected union was not even invited for the traditional meeting over tea with the V-C M Jagadesh Kumar. "He did not send an invite even last year," Kumari claimed.

The NAAC ranks various institutions on the basis of infrastructure, research and innovation, student support and progression.