Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union organised a protest and signature campaign on Thursday against making attendance compulsory for all students studying at the university.
Several students turned up at the Vice-Chancellor's office to mark their attendance in protest but were prevented from entering the office building by university security. Over 2,000 students signed in the memorandum that was to be presented to the V-C, rejecting the new attendance policy.
The V-C, however, did not meet the students but gave them an appointment for Monday morning, said the students.
“When a huge number of students gathered to say Hazir Janaab, the V-C did not turn up fearing questions about his anti-student policies. But the resistance and determination showed by students forced the ever-hiding V-C to send a representative to collect the memorandum,” said the JNUSU.
Council meeting
The students said that the administration, through a circular that imposed the compulsory attendance, had also claimed that this decision was taken at the December 1 Academic Council meeting. They said this which was a misinformation as the AC never took any such decision nor was the attendance system even part of the AC’s agenda.
“It is indeed shameful that it took hours and the presence of hundreds of students for the V-C’s office to give the JNUSU an appointment,” said JNUSU president Geeta Kumari.
