New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) on Tuesday moved the Delhi high court challenging the Inter Hostel Administration (IHA) decision amending the hostel manual that, among other issues, which also includes increased hostel fees.
Meanwhile, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has stated that the basic demand of JNU students on the issue of hostel fee hike have been met.
The petition has been filed by JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh and other office-bearers. In the petition, JNUSU has urged the court to direct the administration to allow students to register as per the old fee structure. Pokhriyal, on the other hand, said that the situation in the university is turning normal and students who want to study should not be disturbed.
"The basic demand of students about the hostel fee hike has been met. The calls for JNU VC's removal now are not reasonable, removing anybody is not the solution," Pokhriyal said.
The petition has also urged the court to restrict JNU authorities from imposing late fee on students who want to register for the January 2020 winter semester. Calling the IHA's action illegal, malafide, arbitrary and adversely affect the students the JNUSU in its petition said,
"The present writ petition is being filed by the members of Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) challenging the Inter Hostel Administration (IHA) decision dated October 28 amending the Hostel Manual, the Minutes of the 283rd Meeting of the Executive Council (EC) dated November 13 ratifying the IHA decision and the High level committee dated November 25 making further amendments to the Hostel Manual. That the aforesaid decisions are malafide, arbitrary and illegal and adversely affect the student community of the Respondent University bringing far-reaching changes to the provisions of the Hostel Manual."
Meanwhile, JNU admin claimed that "82 per cent" using the hostel facilities have registered for the winter semester, to which Pokhriyal, in an interview said, "Over 80 per cent students have already registered for the winter semester. The students who want to study should not be disturbed. If our universities have to excel in global competition, we need to rise above these issues."
The petitioners said that the present Petition has been filed seeking to quash the Draft Hostel Manual illegally approved by the IHA on October 28.
"That this High Level committee does not have the legal mandate and jurisdiction to affect change in the Hostel Manual. That the mandate and powers of bringing any changes to the hostel manual is with the IHA as per the provisions of the Hostel Manual," read the petition. The HRD Minister said that the university will not be turned into 'battlefields'.
"We don't want anarchy in universities, we want conducive environment for academics. Our students are going places, we are investing more and more in research with an aim to take our universities and academic institutions among top rankers globally. Let's move forward in that way," he said.