JNU Announces Partial Rollback In Fee Hike: Why Students Still Not Happy?

Facing intense agitation for over two weeks, JNU on Wednesday rolled back the hostel fee hike partially for BPL students not availing any scholarship, a move which failed to satisfy agitating students who dubbed it as an "eyewash", and decided to continue with the strike. The decision was taken at the varsity's 283rd Executive Council (EC) meeting, HRD Secretary R Subrahmanyam announced while asking the protesting students to resume classes.

The EC meeting was shifted outside the campus at the last moment fearing trouble by agitators. On Monday, the students had gheraoed AICTE building, the venue for varsity's convocation, forcing Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal to stay put for six hours.

JNU students’ protest: What are the demands?

• The students have been demanding withdrawal of the draft hostel manual, which they claimed has provisions for fee hike, dress code and curfew timings.
• Students wanted to meet the vice chancellor and demand withdrawal of the draft hostel manual.
• Rent for student single room hiked from Rs 10 to Rs 300, rent for student double room hiked from Rs 20 to Rs 600, one-time refundable mess security deposit hiked from Rs 5,500 to Rs 12,000.
• The protest is part of the agitation against several other issues like restrictions by the administration on entry to the Parthasarathy Rocks, attempts to lock students' union office, according to the students.
• The hostel fee hike, deadline for students to return to hostels and dress code were the major sticking points against which the university students had been protesting for 16 days.
• The draft hostel manual, which was approved by the Inter-Hall Administration Committee on October 28, had a clause which said, "The residents should be back in their respective hostels latest by 11.00 pm or by half an hour after time for library closing, whichever is later.

After the partial rollback:

• To take care of students coming from weaker sections, the EC decided that all students belonging to the BPL category (excluding those who have Junior Research Fellowship, Senior Research Fellowship and other equivalent fellowships/scholarships either from outside organisations or JNU) are eligible to be given 50 per cent concession in the charges for rooms, utility charges and service charges, the varsity official said.
• JRF scholars get Rs 31,000 per month and SRF scholars Rs 35,000 a month.
• In addition, all BPL category students receiving non-NET fellowship and merit-cum-means scholarships will also be eligible for this 50 per cent concession.
• The changes will be effective from the 2020 academic session and those belonging to BPL category will have adequate time to produce certificate.
• The One-Time (Refundable) Mess Security deposit for all categories of students has been rolled back and the fee now would be Rs. 5,500, instead of the proposed Rs. 12,000. Deadline for students to return to hostels and dress code will now not be part of the manual.