End JNU stir, agree to hostel fee demand: Ministry to students

New Delhi: After a series of meetings, the human resource development ministry made a fresh bid at finding a resolution to the JNU student agitation. The ministry will partially revive the formula that was proposed last month to lessen the burden of high hostel fee by passing on the service and utility charges to the University Grants Commission.

Secretary to HRD ministry Amit Khare said he now hoped that JNU students will end their agitation. “For the last five days we have met the university administration, the teachers' association and students of JNU to find a resolution. We held three meetings with the Vice Chancellor this week and he has taken all suggestions positively and also issued an official circular on the fee issue. We also gave students two days to reassess the issue. I now appeal and hope that students will come forward and end their agitation,” Khare told ET. He also dismissed the students' demand for removal of the V-C M Jagadesh Kumar saying the 'basic and key concern' of hostel fee hike has been addressed. “The V-C has assured that the university will implement the decisions taken in the meeting last month. If there are any other concerns that students have, they can always come to us and even the JNU administration and we will address them,” said Khare.

He declined comment on Delhi Police’s investigation and findings on the January 5 violence. “That is a separate matter altogether. No demand on this matter was made to us. We will definitely look at anything related to student grievances,” Khare told ET. Kharehas mainly revived the resolution formula negotiated by his predecessor R Subrahmanyam before he was suddenly transferred. While its key component was to protect students from a steep hostel fee hike, other proposals included notification of the JNU students’ union.


Khare told ET that the issue was raised in meetings this week and the JNU administration has informed that there is a legal impediment in the matter, which is yet to be addressed.