This is an archive article published on November 25, 2022
JNU has applied for Institute of Eminence status: V-C
Pandit said the university is emphasising that it will not tolerate violence by students. Earlier this month, the university had seen a clash between two groups of students following which the Delhi police registered two FIRs against two students.
Jawaharlal Nehru University applied for Institute of Eminence status earlier this month, Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said Thursday, five years after the scheme was notified by the central government.
In an Idea Exchange session with The Indian Express in August this year, Pandit said the university had not applied for eminence status till then. On Thursday, she said it submitted its application in the first week of this month. “It’s a huge document, we had to get everybody in it because I didn’t want to make it just one school. We have included all schools,” she said.
She said among the projects the university wants to work on are a think tank, a JNU publishing unit, a JNU bookstore, a faculty club and the university library.
Pandit said the university is emphasising that it will not tolerate violence by students. Earlier this month, the university had seen a clash between two groups of students following which the Delhi police registered two FIRs against two students. University authorities had said the violence stemmed from a personal dispute which had flared during a birthday party on campus.
Explained
The IOE
The Union Cabinet had approved UGC’s ‘Institutions of Eminence Deemed to be Universities Regulations 2017’ in August 2017. The regulations are aimed at creating an enabling architecture for 10 public and 10 private institutions to emerge as world-class institutions, since the country has little representation in international ranking of educational institutions.
“We have instituted a proctorial enquiry and we removed nearly 10 students from the hostel and (declared them) out of bounds of the university till the enquiry is completed. I have said that birthday celebrations and such things should be done outside the campus. That’s where it started… At the university level, the dean of students is forming a flying squad,” she said.
The university has constituted a committee to look into filling reserved seats at PhD level and introducing elements of the deprivation points level. Earlier this year, Pandit had expressed interest in reintroducing the deprivation points model at the PhD level.
“We are not introducing it now because the Delhi High Court said that it’s in conflict with the reservation policy. We are waiting for how we can adjust both the deprivation points and the reservation policies. I am told that earlier, we were unable to fill up the reserved positions and they went vacant. Then the deprivation points can come in. If they don’t make the category, can we help students from deprived sections of society like street beggars or transgender people? We have put up a committee because we can’t go against the High Court judgment. We have it at the BA and MA levels but not at the PhD level now. We are asking the committee how we can see that the reserved category seats do not go vacant and if we can use the deprivation points to help other students come into the university,” she said.
Sukrita Baruah is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Guwahati. From this strategic hub, she provides comprehensive, ground-level coverage of India's North East, a region characterized by its complex ethnic diversity, geopolitical significance, and unique developmental challenges.
Expertise and Experience
Ethnic & Social Dynamics: Deep-dive coverage of regional conflicts (such as the crisis in Manipur) and peace-building efforts.
Border & Geopolitics: Tracking developments along India’s international borders and their impact on local communities.
Governance & Policy: Reporting on state elections, tribal council decisions, and the implementation of central schemes in the North East.
Specialized Education Background: Prior to her current role, Sukrita was a dedicated Education Correspondent for The Indian Express in Delhi. This experience provided her with a sharp analytical lens for:
Policy Analysis: Evaluating the National Education Policy (NEP) and university-level reforms.
Student Affairs: Covering high-stakes stories regarding campus politics, national entrance exams, and the challenges within the primary and secondary education sectors. ... Read More
