JNU to have Vivekanand statue, union questions source of funds

A life-size statue of Swami Vivekanand will be set-up next to Nehru’s. (File Photo)

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) will soon have a statue of Swami Vivekanand. As reported by the Indian Express last year, the statue will be ‘life-sized’ and the approval for the same was given by Executive Council (EC) in June 2017. The administration had said that Vivekanand statue will give a ‘more pleasing look’ to the varsity.

“For a more pleasing look, it has been decided by the competent authority that a statue of suitable height and size of a historically important person like Swami Vivekananda — whose contribution to the nation building is universally acknowledged — may be erected with proper elevated platform, stone pathways, benches, lights and interconnected works, including public utilities, etc,” the EC had told Indian Express.

Read| Vivekananda statue in JNU for a ‘pleasing look’

The sources told PTI that the statue will be installed towards the right side of the administration block, opposite the statue of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. This move has not gone down well with the students and teachers’ union. JNUSU and JNUTA have questioned the source of funds for the construction of the statue. They said, on one hand, the varsity does not have money for library funds and for disbursal of the merit-cum-mean scholarship to students and on the other hand it is busy in constructing statue.

-With inputs from PTI