The ensuing student agitation in prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is not just limited to the campus but has wider connotations. Though still considered a noble cause in society, the education sector in independent India has moved from social responsibility of the democratic set up to a profitable business.
In this age of changing narratives, the education is facing a philosophical transition. The philanthropy is nowadays of passé. Also gone the days when investors were seeking returns from alternate routes. Now, they are being more vocal and more direct.
After completing commercialization of almost entire professional education, the largest investor in the education sector - the government – is now eyeing traditional disciplines in social sciences and humanities. Here stands JNU as the strongest voice.
Devdiscourse strongly feels the need of holistic dialogue across classes and communities to shape up the education for future generations.
Live Discourse on "JNU Protest and Discourse on Subsidized Education" is aimed at igniting discussions on the core issue of subsidizing the education. Here you can share your views in the form of comments, pictures, videos and also post the write ups.
Rebuked for hiking fees, the JNU administration on Tuesday launched the 'JNU Alumni Endowment Fund' to achieve 'near financial self-sufficiency' for the university.
In an appeal made to the alumni, the Vice-Chancellor of the University Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar has urged the alumni to help the university in meeting its financial requirements of sustaining existing facilities, enhancement and expansion. "On behalf of JNU, I passionately appeal to the JNU alumni to come forward and generously make your contributions. "Let us keep a target of raising Rs 100 crore by the end of this year. Through your continued support in the coming years, let us target to achieve near financial self-sufficiency for our university," the VC said.
The university will become more autonomous if we become financially self-sufficient. We have more than 80,000 alumni spread throughout the world. Even if each one of them contributes around Rs 5,000 in a year, that will be about Rs 400 crores. Our ultimate goal is to have around Rs 1,000 crore corpus fund in a few years," he added.
Also Read: JNU admin approves creation of JNU Alumni Endowment Fund
Delhi High court on Wednesday asked the JNU administration to go to deliberate with its academic council on WhatsApp examinations it had conducted to complete the Monsoon semester due to ongoing students' agitation.
Also Read: Deliberate with academic council on completing classes, holding exams: Delhi HC to JNU
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy informed the Parliament that as reported by the Delhi Police, fifty-one persons sustained injuries in the incident on January 5 when masked goons attacked the JNU campus.
Also Read: 51 were injured after masked people attacked JNU students, teachers: Govt
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA) has condemned the arrest of a university student and anti-CAA activist Sharjeel Imam in a sedition case. In a statement, the teachers' body alleged that Delhi police arrested JNU student but no arrest has been made in January 5 violence on the campus which left several students injured.
Also Read: Sharjeel Imam's arrest in sedition case due to 'other reasons': JNUTA
JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) has also opposed the case of sedition against Imam calling it politically motivated to reap the benefits in ensuing Delhi Assembly Elections 2020.
JNUSU Statement - 28th January.#VCHatao pic.twitter.com/RE77rtgdrI
— JNUSU (@JNUSUofficial) January 29, 2020
In an apparent indication of hiding something crucial, the JNU Administration has provided two contradictory replies on the same question is posed in two different RTI queries by different persons. In one reply the university denies availability of any footage between 3 pm to 12 am on January 5, the day masked mob attacked the students in Sabarmati Hostel in JNU in the second it said the footages were in the custody of 'law enforcement agencies'.
"CCTV Video With Cops", Says JNU After Claiming No Footage Of Mob Attack
Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the crime branch of Delhi police investigating into the matter has seized all the footage from January 3-5 and sent it to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for forensic investigation.
Delhi Police seizes recordings from JNU server
JNU students' Union (JNUSU) and JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) both are demanding the immediate removal of the Vice-Chancellor Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar after January 5 incident.
Initially, according to sources, the university administration wanted to challenge the order before a greater bench as several observations of the court were against the university. However, the administration was advised to avoid confrontation with the judiciary as it was not the final order.
Also Read: JNU waves off hiked hostel fee and late fine for protesting students
In a landmark observation, Delhi High Court on Friday said that the students of government universities should not be burdened with salaries of the private employees. The comment from this came from the bench after government counsel in JNU fee hike argued that the fee was hiked to meet the expenses of private employees in lieu of salaries.
Also Read: Students can't be burdened with contractual employees salaries in govt-run institutions: HC to JNU
In a major relief to the protesting students of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Friday, the Delhi High Court allowed the remaining students to register as per the old hostel manual and without any late fee. The court also issued notice to JNU administration on a please filed by JNUSU challenging the legality of the new hostel manual implemented by the university. This is the first victory of JNUSU over JNU administration since the students' union decided to protest against the decision of the fee hike on October 28, 2019.
Stung by RTI quarries, the JNU Administration on Wednesday explained the difference between CIS Office and CIS Data Center to the media persons and emphasized that the server was indeed damaged by masked students on January 3. The university also explained that they have all the data related to foreign students.
Also Read: All FIRs in-line with Jan 3 incidents, no deviation from facts: JNU
Also Read: Have 'all relevant information' on foreign students: JNU
As the investigation into the violence on Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on January 5 is proceeding, new shreds of evidence are surfacing. Now, it has come to light that Delhi police had written four letters to JNU administration before the violence asking them to have a continuous dialogue with the protesting students.
Also Read: Delhi police's letters reveal VC's reluctance on dialogue with JNU Students
After 15 days of violence in the JNU campus by masked goons, Delhi police could not make any arrest. The JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) and JNU Teachers Union have blamed the violence and police behind the attack on the campus by masked goons.
The allegations of protesting students have got an evidence after the university administration in an RTI reply provided some information which was in contradiction of the claims made by the Vice-Chancellor in police complaints against the students.
RTI Reveals Glaring Loopholes in JNU Admin's Claims on Campus Violence