NEW DELHI: Amid strong opposition from various students’ organisations and a day after issuing a notification listing a range of activities, including protests and demonstrations, as “misconduct,” Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Thursday withdrew the notification for “administrative reasons”.The notification had laid down details of penalties to be imposed on students for misconduct, which included fines as high as Rs 50,000 and even rustication. The university had also said that the new guidelines had been approved by the varsity’s executive council.In the notification issued by Rajnish Kumar Mishra, the university’s chief proctor, the administration said, “In view of the administrative reasons, the notification dated February 28, in respect of rules of discipline and proper conduct of students of JNU, is hereby withdrawn.”The notification added that the order had been issued on the directions of vice-chancellor Santishree D Pandit.Students’ organisations across ideological spectrums had raised concerns over the guidelines and called the move “draconian” and an attempt to curtail democratic dialogue within the campus.Minutes before the withdrawal of the notification, JNU Students’ Union had called for a protest. “Under the new rules, students can be penalised by the administration with hefty fines for moral turpitude, any form of protest demonstration, sit-in strikes and hunger strikes,” the students’ organisation said.Aishe Ghosh, president of JNUSU, said, “The university claims that the rules of discipline and conduct have been adopted in order to regularise and enforce discipline within campus premises. This itself raises the question that what form of indiscipline did the administration find among the student community, which made them suddenly change the rules.”Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) earlier said that the move was an attempt by the university “to distract students from issues like crumbling infrastructure” that has been affecting the student community.Umesh Chandra Ajmira, president of JNU’s ABVP unit, said, “Under the new rules, fines and penalties will be imposed even for democratic activities like protesting or raising genuine issues…Before making such rules, the administration should consult the executive body and the students.”
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/jnu-withdraws-notification-on-misconduct/articleshow/98375248.cms