'Hollow symbolism': JNUSU slams move to replace 'Kulpati' with 'Kulguru' for JNU VC

New Delhi (PTI): The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) on Wednesday criticised the varsity's decision to adopt the title 'Kulguru' in place of 'Kulpati’ for its vice-chancellor in all degree certificates and academic records a "symbolic move" that fails to address the university's deeper "institutional shortcomings".

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the JNUSU accused the administration of engaging in “optics over action”, as it demanded urgent reforms on issues of gender justice, inclusion, and democratic functioning. “We understand your urgency to change the designation as a move toward gender neutrality. But symbolic gestures alone cannot ensure gender justice; fundamental transformation requires institutional reforms,” the statement said.

The student body also accused the vice-chancellor of following a “political and ideological trend” of renaming rather than reforming, likening the change to what it described as the Modi government's pattern of "functioning as a name changer while claiming to be a game changer".

The JNUSU also listed four key demands in the statement, including immediate reinstatement of the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH), which it claimed was more democratic and survivor-friendly than the existing Internal Complaints Committee (ICC); restoration of deprivation points in PhD admissions, which helped level the field for marginalised and women students; construction of gender-neutral washrooms and hostels; and the implementation of reservations for transgender students in line with the Supreme Court’s NALSA judgment.

The statement also criticised the administration's “unwillingness” to engage in dialogue, citing unanswered requests for a meeting on the JNU entrance examination.

“We believe in dialogue -- something you have not practised,” the student body alleged, noting that reforms cannot be implemented through unilateral decisions masked as inclusivity.

The move to shift from ‘Kulpati’ to ‘Kulguru’ was passed by JNU's executive council in April and will be implemented by the controller of examinations.

According to university officials, the new term is both culturally-rooted and gender-neutral, in line with similar terminologies already adopted by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments.

While Madhya Pradesh passed an amendment in July 2024 to adopt the terms 'Kulguru' and 'Pratikulguru' in place of 'Kulpati' and 'Upkulpati', Rajasthan followed suit in February 2025.