JNU students on strike demanding JNUSU polls

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) witnessed a university strike, as students united in their call for immediate JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) elections.

The last JNUSU elections took place in 2019, with subsequent delays attributed to various factors, including the COVID-19 lockdown and adjustments in the academic calendar for BA, MA, and PhD programmes.

Students from diverse backgrounds came together, opting to boycott their classes to demand the revival of the electoral process for the students’ union.

JNU is renowned for its distinctive characteristics, such as deprivation points for women and students from backward districts and affordable semester fees (less than Rs 300).

Protesting students emphasised that the JNUSU has played a pivotal role in upholding these values over the years and recent administrative changes have raised concerns about the future of these policies.

The tenure of former Vice Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar sparked concerns of policy changes at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), including the discontinuation of the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH), the elimination of deprivation points for PhD admissions, and tuition fee increases.

These perceived policy shifts have ignited a call for the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) elections, driven by a collective aspiration to reinstate the institution’s historically progressive policies and secure a more promising future for the university.