Big Victory For JNU Students, Service Charges Waived Off For Hostel Residents In Winter Semester

The intense protests by JNU students over fee hike have finally forced the administration to accept their demands. The JNU administration has decided to waive off the utility and service charges for the hostel residents for the winter semester. The JNUSU has been demanding the rollback. The JNU circular, a copy of which is with News Nation, says that, “This is for further information of all concerned that Service and Utility charges for the hostel residents are not being charged during the current registration for 2020 Winter Semester.” The circular dated January 9 comes after the JNU students and teachers met the officials in HRD ministry to resolve the issue in Delhi on same day. However, the circular has been released on Friday.

Interestingly, the circular has put on record that the decision was made after the meeting that was held in December last year. “As per the record of discussion held in MHRD on resolving the JNU issue on 10/11 December, 2019, “UGC will bear the cost of Service and Utility charges proposed till further orders,” the circular said.

“The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration has already written to the University Grants Commission “to release” the funds towards the Service and Utility charges in the hostels. The matter is being pursued at the appropriate level in the UGC. The issues with the approval of the Competent Authority,” the circular further added. 

On Thursday, the JNUSU had said that, “All Service and Utility charges for the hostel residents will have to be rescinded, not simply kept "on hold." Not just for us, but for future generations of JNU students. A new IHA Meeting has to be convened following the democratic procedures as ensured by the statutes of JNU.”    

Amid outrage by students over a proposed fee hike, the HRD Ministry had intervened last month and formed a three-member committee to resolve the stand-off between the university and its administration. JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar had said that there had been no deviation from the "formula" arrived at by the HRD Ministry about the fee hike. Students are not being charged any services or utility fees as decided, he had said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, four days after a masked mob entered the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus and assaulted 34 people including students, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police on Thursday said it had zeroed in on a few suspects behind the attack. A senior police officer said they had identified at least 70 administrators of two WhatsApp groups, where the attack on members of the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) was allegedly planned. According to the police, they were very close to identifying the culprits behind Sunday’s attack and had zeroed in on a few suspects.