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Journalism of Courage
The Jawaharlal Nehru University students boycotted the exams on Thursday over the hostel fee hike issue, even as the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies (SSIS) saw students appearing for their papers.
Sources said exams were also held in School of Engineering and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management and Entrepreneurship. Professor Hari Ram Mishra of the SSIS said there was full strength of students who appeared for exams in the 10 am to 1 pm shift. There was no immediate reaction from the varsity administration.
Read | JNU protest march Highlights: Students lathicharged, detained; refuse to call off protest
However, JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar had earlier said that the exams would be happening as per schedule even as students boycotted it in protest over the hostel fee hike. Kumar said the varsity administration was open for dialogue and interests of bona-fide students was a top priority.
“The university is committed to help the bona fide students who wish to write their exams and complete their academic requirements. The interests of bona fide students is a top priority to the university,” he said.
Meanwhile, the varsity had a meeting with the office bearers of International Students’ Association of JNU who had shared the problems being faced by them as their visa validity is going to expire.
They were assured that their situation would be looked into. “In order to facilitate evaluation of their courses, it’s only appropriate that an alternative evaluation process needs to be adopted,” the varsity had said on Wednesday. For example, additional assignments/sessionals/term papers may be given to them in lieu of term-end semester examinations, the varsity had said.
M Jagadesh Kumar said the university had always encouraged dialogue and discussion and would continue to do it. “The meeting with the office bearers of International Students’ Association of JNU,” he said.
On being asked whether the varsity would hold a dialogue with the protesting students, he told PTI that “any student is welcome for a dialogue with JNU administration”
