JNU agrees to 6 major student demands amid ongoing strike

NEW DELHI: The ongoing stalemate between the JNU administration and its students’ union, which has been staging a hunger strike for the past 15 days over various unresolved issues, may soon come to an end as the two sides have reached a consensus on several demands.

The university has agreed to fulfill at least six of the 12 major demands of the protesting students’ union. These include reinstating the old in-house entrance exam system -- JNU Entrance Exam (JNUEE) -- for admissions, conducting a caste census of the campus, increasing scholarship amounts, and proposing a reduction in the weightage given to the viva for admissions.

Despite these developments, the union has continued its protest, with President Dhananjay and Councillor Nitish Kumar remaining on hunger strike, which entered its 16th day on Monday. They are demanding written confirmation of the agreed-upon demands. The hunger strike started on August 11.

“Dhananjay has lost more than 5 kg and has a ketone level of 4+, which indicates severe pressure on his kidneys due to the hunger strike. He has also developed jaundice and urinary tract infection (UTI). Nitish has lost around 7 kg and has become extremely weak, suffering from severe joint and muscle pain,” the students’ union said in a statement.

The JNUSU has called for a relay hunger strike and night vigil to press their demands.

In a negotiation meeting held on August 23, the day of the long march to the Ministry of Education by the JNUSU, Rector-I of the university, Brijesh Kumar Pandey, assured the students that the university would accept some of the demands raised, according to a statement by the students’ body.

When contacted, Pandey said, “The administration will accept all the positive demands of the students in their best interest. Anything beyond our authority cannot be fulfilled.”

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has agreed to increase the merit-cum-means scholarship from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 and extend it to students of the Schools of Engineering and Management.

The administration assured the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) that admissions will resume through JNUEE from the next academic session. Additionally, the university will publish category-wise data of students, faculty, and staff within 15 days and present the Nafey Committee report, recommending a reduction of viva weightage to 10-15 per cent, at the next Academic Council meeting.

Inquiries against students involved in recent protests will be dropped, but no agreement was reached on reopening Barak Hostel.