Besides students, earlier the JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) also slammed varsity administration over the circular denying its claim that the decision was taken in the AC meeting.
Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net
New Delhi, Jan 4: The Jawaharlal Nehru University students’ Union (JNUSU) on Thursday launched a mass signature campaign against varsity’s new “Compulsory Attendance circular”.
In response to the varsity’s “Compulsory Attendance circular”, JNUSU called a signature campaign today at Vice Chancellor (VC) office saying “Hazir Janaab”(reffering to VC M Jagadesh Kumar), where hundreds of students submitted their mandate to oppose the circular. According to JNUSU, over 2000 students have signed the memorandum rejecting the circular.
In the wake of gathering of students security guards had been deployed in high number outside the admin bloc. Students wanted to meet the Vice Chancellor, but Chief Proctor Kaushal Kumar who met JNUSU representatives and students said that VC was not available in office. Objecting over the circular, JNUSU submitted a memorandum to the Chief Proctor and demanded an appointment of the meeting with the VC.
Speaking to IndiaTomorrow.net, Simone Zoya Khan, vice president of JNUSU said, “Entire student community and teachers are opposing this move. This circular has been brought arbitrarily by the VC without consulting with the students and teachers. Admin has not even stated clearly about how much percentage of attendance they want.”
“Even in the absence of compulsory attendance rule, students have already been attending the classes in majority. So why there is a need of bringing such circular?” she questioned.
“We have got an appointment to meet VC on upcoming Monday’s morning,” she told.
In a circular dated December 21, JNU administration had informed the students of attendance being made compulsory from this winter session in all schools, centers, and, special centers. The circular said that the decision was taken as per a resolution passed in the 144th Academic Council (AC) meeting held on December 1.
JNUTA objects circular
Besides students, earlier the JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) also slammed varsity administration over the circular denying its claim that the decision was taken in the AC meeting. The JNUTA said no decision was taken on the said matter and when the proposal was put through the Council, it was “met with dissent”.
“The overwhelming opinion among teachers of the University is that the diktat for compulsory attendance seeks to manufacture a problem where none exists,” the JNUTA said in a letter to the ‘Compulsory Attendance Committee’, formed after the AC meeting to elicit recommendations on the issue.
