NEW DELHI: The Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), M Jagadesh Kumar, on Monday announced that the university will host its convocation in the last week of this month. He said a notice will be issued soon regarding the convocation.
As the campus was reopened for PhD scholars on Monday after several months, the VC along with university officials held a Facebook Live session and interacted with students to clear their queries ranging from resumption of physical classes, hostel allotment to 2020 batch and reopening of all floors of library to renovation of hostels and resuming of health centres for students.
Answering the queries of students regarding resumption of offline classes, Kumar said, “Considering the Covid situation across the country and also following the protocols, JNU administration has decided to reopen colleges in a phased manner. There is a committee which is looking into the reopening of colleges and it has decided to first permit the PhD students, who need to complete their thesis by December 31.”
“There are a lot of requests coming from our students to reopen the campus fully but since the guidelines are still there in terms of putting a cap on how many people could be gathered in places. Since we need to follow the covid guidelines, the committee is looking into calling students back to college in phases. So, PhD students have been called first. Like this, the entire campus will be opened gradually,” he further said.
“We are synchronising with the way the Covid situation is evolving. Students are coming here from across the country and situation is still serious in several parts. So, we cannot take risk with the health of students,” he said.
Students’ union stages sit-in over various issues
JNU Students’ Union members on Monday gathered inside the campus and held a protest demanding to reopen the campus, hostel allotments and various other issues. The students locked the office of Dean, Student Welfare, and staged a sit-in. They also submitted a memorandum to the Dean. Meanwhile, Professor RP Singh, Rector 3 of the University and member of the Covid monitoring committee, said the Executive Council has taken a decision to waive off hostel charges.
“Adjustments will be made for the students who have paid fees in the coming semesters, when they will avail the hostel facilities,” said the official. The students who have not been allotted rooms will be given admission when the campus is fully opened. Around 50% of rooms are lying vacant, students need not worry, said an official.