A group of teachers from Jawaharlal Nehru University have dissociated themselves from the JNU Teachers’ Association and started calling themselves the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Federation (JNUTF).
The JNUTF in a statement said that they have formed their own group in view of JNUTA’s “lackadaisical approach” towards teachers’ concerns about “violence” on the campus.
The JNUTF on Tuesday welcomed the circular issued by the JNU administration announcing a 50% reduction in the hostel service charges which were proposed in the original draft hostel manual.
“The administration has slashed the utility and service charges by 50% for all students and by 75% for BPL students. This is indeed a welcome step, and shall help in the resolution of the current deadlock,” the JNUTF said in a statement.
Appeal for normalcy
The JNUTF added that a vast majority of students want to return to their classes, and complete their sessional requirements to become eligible to appear in the end semester examinations that will begin from December 12 and appealed to all students to resume classes and prepare for their end semester examination as they have been away from classes for over a month.
The JNUTA, however, called the same circular released by the administration “a clear reflection of the Vice-Chancellor’s desperation to salvage his position even after his continuation in office has become untenable.”
“The circular itself suggests that the university is at least officially conceding that the proposed increase in hostel charges were exorbitant and need to be reversed. After first appealing to teachers to persuade students to accept the hike in charges as both reasonable as well as necessary, the university administration has now accepted that they were neither reasonable nor necessary” the JNUTA said in a statement.
“The new category of fees like utility and service charges that reflect a move towards a self-financing model, or a transfer of the university’s responsibilities on to students, are still present in the structure of hostel charges. This is thus leaving open the possibility that the university administration’s goal will be ultimately achieved through subsequent increase in charges under these heads,” the JNUTA said.
It added that the danger of further increase in charges is a clear possibility since due process and dialogue with all stakeholders and particularly students have been given the short shrift even in this revision.
The JNUTA reiterated its position that the revisions in hostel charges must be fully withdrawn and any changes in the hostel manual should be considered only after due deliberation and discussion in statutory bodies with the full participation of all student representatives.
