The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the varsity’s decision not to notify the elected members of the students’ body and preventing them from carrying out their responsibilities towards students.
The petition filed by JNUSU president N. Sai Balaji and other office-bearers has said that they are aggrieved by the “arbitrary and illegal acts” of the university and Dean of students in illegally obstructing their participation in the various committees or councils.
The petitioners are the elected office-bearers of the JNUSU for the academic year 2018-2019 and had won the elections conducted on September 14, 2018. They have sought direction declaring them to be elected office-bearers to JNUSU.
“The denial of the petitioners herein from assuming their legitimate role as the JNUSU office-bearers by the respondents herein is contrary to the JNU Act, 1966, the Statutes and the Academic Ordinances,” the petition said.
“The Dean of Students, by not issuing the notification and the respondent university by relying on such inaction, has effectively refused recognition to a democratically elected students’ body that is crucial to the decision-making process as envisaged under the statute,” the plea said.
“The respondents have stifled the democratic functioning of the students’ representatives by giving credence to the acts of the Dean of Students in abrogating the powers that are not available to him under the JNU Act, 1966, statutes and the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee,” the plea added.
It also sought to declare that the Dean of Students has no power under the Lyngdoh Committee Recommendations to recognise/de-recognise/nullify the elections to JNUSU that are held annually at the university.
