NEW DELHI: Facing flak, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was on Thursday forced to retract a new set of guidelines issued by it to prevent students from participating in protests or indulging in “misconduct” on campus.
The university issued a fresh notification, stating, “In view of administrative reasons, the notification dated February 28 in respect of rules of discipline and proper conduct of students of JNU is hereby withdrawn.” JNU-VC Santishree D Pandit claimed that she was not aware of the circular as she was out of the city. “I was not aware that such a document was being drafted. I got to know about the document through newspapers. That is why I have withdrawn it,” she said.
The university had on Tuesday released a set of rules titled ‘Rules of Discipline and proper conduct of students of JNU’, which warned students that they will be penalised with fines up to Rs 20,000 for holding dharnas and have their admission cancelled or be fined up to Rs 30,000 if they hold gheraos or are accused of violence.
It had also listed 16 additional actions under which they would be hauled up under these new guidelines, including gambling, drug use, forgery, etc. The decision had led to an outrage on social media, with users slamming it as “undemocratic” and an “attempt to suppress dissent”. The student unions of various political ideologies, too, issued condemnations along the same lines.
Retracted code
The new code of punishments included cancellation of admission or withdrawal of degree or denial of registration for a specified period, rustication up to four semesters and/or declaring any part or the campus out of bounds, expulsion, a fine of up to Rs 30,000, eviction from the hostel.