Former professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, M Jagadesh Kumar, who formally took over as the new Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Wednesday, said student issues would be his top priority.
Mr. Kumar who joined the university amid the controversy of a Dalit Ph.D scholar threatening to commit suicide over non-extension of his research grant, said that the issue would be sorted out in the best possible manner.
“The teachers and staff at JNU have always been working in favour of students. Student agendas are my top priority as the V-C of JNU and we will find a solution soon,” Mr. Kumar said.
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The JNU administration on the other hand said there was some technical issue with extending the research grant.
Madan Meher, a Dalit research scholar, has alleged that he was discriminated against on the basis of his caste.
The scholar was awarded a five-year fellowship in 2011 to complete his Ph.D from the varsity’s School of International Studies’ Centre.
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However, he deregistered from JNU in 2013 for some time.
Now, his fellowship has been stopped and he was asked to return the money he took from the centre for a field trip.
Nine more students allege harassment PTI reports:
Nine more students of the JNU have said they were being “harassed on the basis of caste“.
The Dalit student had sent two letters to the VC threatening that he would end his life if his research grant was not extended next year,
The student alleged that he had been “discriminated and harassed” by his department which is trying to “block his PhD.”
Nine more students of the department also said they were being “harassed on the basis of caste.”