JNU withdraws notices issued to students over 2019 fee hike protest

A few weeks ago, the varsity issued a notice to PhD students Aishe Ghosh and N Sai Balaji regarding the protest and asked them to appear for a proctorial enquiry hearing.

The notice said, “A complaint dated November 6, 2019, was received in the Chief Proctor’s office… as per the said report, you were involved in a protest in front of the Administrative Building on November 5, 2019, at 1.24 pm. This act is in violation of the order of the Hon’ble HC…”

It also said, “This is your last opportunity to explain your position. You are directed to appear before the Proctor on November 9 at 12 pm… to explain your position. You may bring any evidence in support of your defence.”

Sources at JNU had earlier told The Indian Express that the notices had been issued as part of an ongoing enquiry.

Reacting to the development, Balaji said: “The administration is simply withdrawing the notices sent to us because of public backlash. What else could be a reason to stretch an issue that happened five years ago unnecessarily?”

Ghosh earlier said on Facebook, “The administration has found newer ways of bulldozing student voices. A 4-year-old case is being re-opened… while the then Ministry clearly stated that no student should be punished for their democratic right of protesting against the arbitrary fee hike illegally imposed, JNU administration is on a spree to disobey the orders and punish students.”

In 2019, protests erupted in JNU after the administration announced a hike in hostel fees. Several students were served notices in this regard based on the Chief Security Officer’s complaint.

The students had demanded the withdrawal of the draft hostel manual, in which service charges of Rs 1,700 were introduced and the one-time mess security fee. The rent for a single-seater room was increased from Rs 20 per month to Rs 600 per month, while the rent for a double-seater room was increased from Rs 10 to Rs 300 per month.