The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): Students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi initiated a strike on Tuesday to voice their concerns over various pressing issues including the commercialization of campus spaces, delays in resolving sexual harassment inquiries, and a lack of student representation in decision-making committees. The strike was called despite an invitation from the Proctor and Rector for dialogue, which failed to yield any assurances from the university administration that satisfied the students’ demands.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), which organized the strike, saw participation from multiple schools within the university including the School of Arts and Aesthetics, School of Language, Literature, and Culture Studies, School of Physical Sciences, and School of International Studies. These groups united under a common cause to emphasize the urgency of their demands and the critical nature of the issues at hand.
Key demands from the students include an increase in the Merit-cum-Means scholarships to Rs. 5,000, faster processing of sexual harassment cases, cessation of commercial film shoots on campus, and non-interference from the Grievance Redressal Cell in elections. Students also highlighted the need for timely disbursal of fellowships, smoother claims processes, the reinstatement of deprivation points, and equitable resolutions in harassment cases.
Further demands focused on improving admissions processes such as adjusting the weight of viva-voce in the JNU Entrance Examination (JNUEE), enhancing library facilities, and increasing accessibility across campus, including better wheelchair access and hostel allocations. The students also called for upgrades to hostel infrastructure, fair reservation policies in hostel allotments, solutions to ongoing water issues, and the restoration of bus services alongside an increase in e-rickshaw availability to improve transport options on campus.