Delhi August 24: In a protest march that wound itself from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to Shastri Bhavan where the union government’s ministry of education offices are located, students from JNU and led by the students union (JNUSU) raised issues of deteriorating conditions, paucity and cuts in funding of public education and a slew demands of the university and wider higher education community.
Students were protesting the callous and indifferent attitude of the JNU administration and the Ministry of Education towards the 14-day hunger strike by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) on serious issues of the students. The health of those students protesting is deteriorating but there has been no response from the government. Students have been demanding that the JNU administration and the Ministry of Education take immediate meaningful decisions and respond to the demands of the students.
The major demands of the students include increasing the MCM scholarship from ₹2000 to ₹5000, increasing the Non-NET Fellowship to ₹20,000 to reduce the high cost of living in Delhi, opening a hostel to provide necessary accommodation for students, reinstatement of the JNUEE exam which has been marred by repeated failures and paper leaks under the NTA system, the recent failure of the re-examination on August 20, 2024 which is now going to be held, the failure of the NTA to deal with important examinations alone, preventing discrimination against students from disadvantaged sections, conducting caste census, implementing caste sensitization, restoring GSCASH in place of the ineffective ICC. Women students especially flagged the issue of the presence of a member of the teaching faculty accused of inappropriate behaviour on an adjudicating body for students.
Besides students under the JNUSU have also been demanding a revision of the National Education Policy (NEP) which is inherently discriminatory against marginalised communities and students. Increased and sustained funding is necessary to adequately support educational institutions and ensure that they can provide the necessary resources and facilities for students.
A video of the protest may be viewed here
Meanwhile the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has expressed its full support to this movement of students on behalf of the farmers of the country. In a statement issued by the umbrella organisation of over 300 farmer organisations on August 24, SKM states, “The farmers of the country can never forget the active support given by the JNU students to the farmers in the 13-month-long Delhi Morcha of farmers led by SKM. SKM has said that with every passing hour, the health of the hunger strikers is deteriorating. We appeal to all farmers-labourers-citizens of the country to support this just movement of students.”