Javadekar inaugurates women’s hostel at Jamia University

Hailing India as a shining example of unity in diversity, Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the real life lessons are learnt in campuses which host students from varied cultural backgrounds like Jamia Millia Islamia.

Speaking at the inaugral function of a girl’s hostel on Wednesday he also acknowledged the historical importance of the Jamia Millia Islamia.“Universities like Jamia, Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and others were opened during the British rule to impart nationalist education and to steer and guide the country towards independence. After independence, these nationalist universities along with various colleges and schools became the vehicles to serve various sections of Indian society,” he said.  The University was established in 1920 and will mark its centennial anniversary in 2020.

A day prior to the inauguration, a small controversy was created by an open letter supposedly written by women hostelliers of the varsity on social media. The letter tells Javadekar that he is “not welcome” on campus. The letter read: “We do not feel you have any legitimacy to visit a women’s hostel, since your ministry and UGC have completely failed to ensure implementation of regulations *regarding safety of women in campuses* by universities.”

“The hostel girls have given us in writing that they did not write the letter that appeared on social media. This is a work of some mischievous elements who I think are not students of Jamia,” said  Iftekhar Ahmad, Media Coordinator, Jamia Millia Islamia.