<p>JNU Students&#39; Union has announced that it will hold a protest march to the Ministry of Human Resource Development here on Thursday, demanding the removal of the varsity&#39;s Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar.</p>

<p>Though the students have held various protests and online campaigns using the hashtag &quot;#notourvc&quot; inside the campus, this is the first time a demand for removal of the Vice Chancellor will be raised outside the campus.</p>

<p>&quot;Our principal demand would be the removal of the VC from his office,&quot; JNUSU Joint Secretary Shubhanshu Singh told PTI.</p>

<p>Ever since the announcement of compulsory attendance, the students have been resorting to various ways of protest against the university establishment.</p>

<p>The stand-off between students and the Vice Chancellor escalated on February 8 when the administration made 75 per cent attendance mandatory for availing scholarships and fellowships.</p>

<p>For the last three days, scores of students have been organising strikes, human chains and holding demonstrations near the administration block, breaking the Delhi High Court 100-metre order.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the administration today issued circulars to all members of the Academic Council announcing the decision to postpone council meeting indefinitely initially scheduled for February 23.</p>

<p>&quot;Due to unavoidable circumstances, the Academic Council meeting which was to be held on February 23 will be rescheduled,&quot; the circular signed by Registrar Pramod Kumar said.&nbsp;</p>


Students also held various protests and online campaigns using the hashtag "#notourvc" inside the campus

JNU Students' Union has announced that it will hold a protest march to the Ministry of Human Resource Development here on Thursday, demanding the removal of the varsity's Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar. Though the students have held various protests and online campaigns using the hashtag "#notourvc" inside the campus, this is the first time a demand for removal of the Vice Chancellor will be raised outside the campus. "Our principal demand would be the removal of the VC from his office," JNUSU Joint Secretary Shubhanshu Singh told PTI. Ever since the announcement of compulsory attendance, the students have been resorting to various ways of protest against the university establishment. The stand-off between students and the Vice Chancellor escalated on February 8 when the administration made 75 per cent attendance mandatory for availing scholarships and fellowships. For the last three days, scores of students have been organising strikes, human chains and holding demonstrations near the administration block, breaking the Delhi High Court 100-metre order. Meanwhile, the administration today issued circulars to all members of the Academic Council announcing the decision to postpone council meeting indefinitely initially scheduled for February 23. "Due to unavoidable circumstances, the Academic Council meeting which was to be held on February 23 will be rescheduled," the circular signed by Registrar Pramod Kumar said.

JNU students' union to hold protest march seeking VC's removal

<p>To instil&nbsp;&quot;patriotism&quot;&nbsp;in them, India Army veterans addressed JNU students on the eve of Republic Day.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Major General (retired) GD Bakhi -- well known from his appearances on television -- was among the speakers. He spoke to the JNU students about India&#39;s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war which led to the creation of Bangladesh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And perhaps unknowingly he also seemed to call on Indians to come together in all their diversity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Despite our problems in gelling with each other, 1971 saw us in our best. We synergised, political department, armed forces, home and defence ministry, intelligence agencies came together and in 13 days we broke Pakistan into two,&quot; PTI reported Bakshi as saying.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bakshi however added, PTI said, that war&nbsp;was the last resort.</p>

<p>The other speakers, PTI reported, included Param Vir Chakra -- the second-highest gallantry award the army gives out -- awardees.</p>

<p>JNU Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar was also present.</p>

<p>Kumar had recently had a tank installed on campus. The tank was a gift from the army, which Kumar said would help instil in his students &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jnu-vc-wants-tank-installed-on-campus-to-instill-love-for-the-army-among-students-18217" target="_blank">a love for the&nbsp;army</a>&quot;.&nbsp;</p>


Major General (retired) GD Bakhi -- well known from his appearances on television -- was among the speakers

To instil "patriotism" in them, India Army veterans addressed JNU students on the eve of Republic Day. Major General (retired) GD Bakhi -- well known from his appearances on television -- was among the speakers. He spoke to the JNU students about India's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war which led to the creation of Bangladesh. And perhaps unknowingly he also seemed to call on Indians to come together in all their diversity. "Despite our problems in gelling with each other, 1971 saw us in our best. We synergised, political department, armed forces, home and defence ministry, intelligence agencies came together and in 13 days we broke Pakistan into two," PTI reported Bakshi as saying. Bakshi however added, PTI said, that war was the last resort. The other speakers, PTI reported, included Param Vir Chakra -- the second-highest gallantry award the army gives out -- awardees. JNU Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar was also present. Kumar had recently had a tank installed on campus. The tank was a gift from the army, which Kumar said would help instil in his students "a love for the army".

To instil 'patriotism' in them, Army veterans address JNU students

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Book Review: &ldquo;Indian Nationalism &ndash; The Essential Writings&rdquo;</p>

<p>Edited by: S Irfan Habib,</p>

<p>Aleph Book Co, 2017, ISBN: 978-93-86021-05-2, 295 pages</p>

<p>S.I.Habib writes this anthology with a clear view that we need to introspect seriously the democratic and civilised concepts of&nbsp; &lsquo;nation, patriotism, nationalism, and culture&rsquo;. A better understanding of these concepts can come from only defining and articulating them. Habib, a renowned historian of science and modern political history, has himself tried to define these in the book,&nbsp; Indian Nationalism &ndash; The Essential Writings (Aleph Book Co, 2017).</p>

<p>The anthology brings together some selected essays, pieces of debates, speeches and narrations penned over the period around the 1870s to 1980s that are not easy to find. The goal is to understand, interpret and frame nascent nationalism in India from the work of those thinkers. The book highlights, in particular, some of the secular thoughts of Indian Muslim pragmatic thinkers who have put India to be the country of their soul much ahead of their religious identity.</p>

<p>Poet Allama Iqbal writes to (Pandit) Nehru on the question of self-determination of the Muslims, the community&#39;s quest for cultural unification:&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;&lsquo;The body and the soul are alike mortgaged to others/Neither the house nor the house-owner remains.&quot;</p>

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<p>&ldquo;Indian Nationalism &ndash; The Essential Writings&rdquo;. Edited by: S Irfan Habib (Others)</p>
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<p>Discussing the current state of nationalism in India,&nbsp; S I Habib describes the current spates of events, particularly the JNU crisis of 2016-17, as &lsquo;ballistic nationalism&rsquo;. The current form of nationalism is different from the nationalism as originally perceived during the formative phases of the freedom movement. The idea of the Indian nation, Habib shows, rests on a &lsquo;liberal-moderate&#39; form of nationalism which gradually transformed into a consensus-based &lsquo;inclusive nationalism&rsquo;.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Habib, in this anthology, brings out the very many forms of nationalism ranging from economic, combative, paranoid to cosmopolitan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While referring to the expert views of prominent scholars of nationalism, such as Elie Kedourie and Harold Laski, Habib traces the global discourse on nationalism. Though the first pulse of nationalism became evident in the 1750s, it is only in the twentieth century that the ideas of national received global reception.&nbsp;</p>

<p>An interesting feature of nationalism, Habib points out, is that it is a very strong political emotion, yet malleable enough to accommodate the mix of political, cultural, linguistic and religious identities.</p>

<p>&nbsp;Ruled by ancient and medieval kingdoms, Habib points out that India has been a mixed mosaic. Here, for long, the love was for the dynasties and not for the nation. It was with the oppressive colonial regime that Indian nationalism emerged as a reactive tool. Under this newfound nationalism is where the Indians found an identity beyond local and regional boundaries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It has been discussed in the essays how British colonial rulers interrupted the political evolution of a nation-state that was driven by the inner dynamics of a disintegrating Mughal empire. A new mix of &lsquo;political community&rsquo; got concretised under colonial modernity but that nationalism turned out to be an antithesis of colonisation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Habib refers to Benjamin Zachariah&rsquo;s book &lsquo;Playing the Nation Game&rsquo; (2011) that discusses a variety of rabid forms of nationalism that emerged particularly because of state-sponsorship to nationalistic fervour. Monopolising the regimented patriotism, the governing power is charging the sentiment of the common people to find &lsquo;the other &ndash; the object of hate&rsquo; to focus on. Thus, nationalism is transforming into theology, opposing this view is dubbed as blasphemy; history has seldom spared the men of reason.</p>

<p>Any discussion on nationalism within the Indian context is complete without mentioning Jawaharlal Nehru. Habib refers to Nehru&#39;s writings before the independence wherein he spoke unequivocally about the forces &quot;which under the guise of &lsquo;their-culture&rsquo; narrows our minds and outlook, and essentially restricts and denies...&quot; rather than widen the mind and the spirit. Habib observes that this kind nationalism, the legacy of the freedom struggle, was challenged by the RSS since the 1930s, and has become a serious threat now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;As we celebrate the 69th year of the Indian Constitution, we have to remember that a much inclusive form of nationalism lies at the core of our Constitution. Gopal Gandhi most aptly and crisply sums of the sentiment in the book as &lsquo;India is all Indians and all Indians are India&rsquo;. Habib opines that what is at stake now is the essence of &lsquo;liberal nationalism, which the nation has nursed through the last century.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>The book is pretty well presented except a negligible misprint in the content page; there are two chapter &lsquo;VI&rsquo;s. In jest, perhaps the publishers did not want a chapter XIII, could have followed the British legacy of calling it &lsquo;XII and Half&rsquo;, a cabin so numbered in the &lsquo;Woodburn Ward&rsquo; of PG Hospital, Kolkata during their regime.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


S Irfan Habib opines that what is at stake now is the essence of ‘liberal nationalism, which the nation has nursed through the last century.

Book Review: “Indian Nationalism – The Essential Writings” Edited by: S Irfan Habib, Aleph Book Co, 2017, ISBN: 978-93-86021-05-2, 295 pages S.I.Habib writes this anthology with a clear view that we need to introspect seriously the democratic and civilised concepts of ‘nation, patriotism, nationalism, and culture’. A better understanding of these concepts can come from only defining and articulating them. Habib, a renowned historian of science and modern political history, has himself tried to define these in the book, Indian Nationalism – The Essential Writings (Aleph Book Co, 2017). The anthology brings together some selected essays, pieces of debates, speeches and narrations penned over the period around the 1870s to 1980s that are not easy to find. The goal is to understand, interpret and frame nascent nationalism in India from the work of those thinkers. The book highlights, in particular, some of the secular thoughts of Indian Muslim pragmatic thinkers who have put India to be the country of their soul much ahead of their religious identity. Poet Allama Iqbal writes to (Pandit) Nehru on the question of self-determination of the Muslims, the community's quest for cultural unification: ‘The body and the soul are alike mortgaged to others/Neither the house nor the house-owner remains." “Indian Nationalism – The Essential Writings”. Edited by: S Irfan Habib (Others) × Discussing the current state of nationalism in India, S I Habib describes the current spates of events, particularly the JNU crisis of 2016-17, as ‘ballistic nationalism’. The current form of nationalism is different from the nationalism as originally perceived during the formative phases of the freedom movement. The idea of the Indian nation, Habib shows, rests on a ‘liberal-moderate' form of nationalism which gradually transformed into a consensus-based ‘inclusive nationalism’. Habib, in this anthology, brings out the very many forms of nationalism ranging from economic, combative, paranoid to cosmopolitan. While referring to the expert views of prominent scholars of nationalism, such as Elie Kedourie and Harold Laski, Habib traces the global discourse on nationalism. Though the first pulse of nationalism became evident in the 1750s, it is only in the twentieth century that the ideas of national received global reception. An interesting feature of nationalism, Habib points out, is that it is a very strong political emotion, yet malleable enough to accommodate the mix of political, cultural, linguistic and religious identities. Ruled by ancient and medieval kingdoms, Habib points out that India has been a mixed mosaic. Here, for long, the love was for the dynasties and not for the nation. It was with the oppressive colonial regime that Indian nationalism emerged as a reactive tool. Under this newfound nationalism is where the Indians found an identity beyond local and regional boundaries. It has been discussed in the essays how British colonial rulers interrupted the political evolution of a nation-state that was driven by the inner dynamics of a disintegrating Mughal empire. A new mix of ‘political community’ got concretised under colonial modernity but that nationalism turned out to be an antithesis of colonisation. Habib refers to Benjamin Zachariah’s book ‘Playing the Nation Game’ (2011) that discusses a variety of rabid forms of nationalism that emerged particularly because of state-sponsorship to nationalistic fervour. Monopolising the regimented patriotism, the governing power is charging the sentiment of the common people to find ‘the other – the object of hate’ to focus on. Thus, nationalism is transforming into theology, opposing this view is dubbed as blasphemy; history has seldom spared the men of reason. Any discussion on nationalism within the Indian context is complete without mentioning Jawaharlal Nehru. Habib refers to Nehru's writings before the independence wherein he spoke unequivocally about the forces "which under the guise of ‘their-culture’ narrows our minds and outlook, and essentially restricts and denies..." rather than widen the mind and the spirit. Habib observes that this kind nationalism, the legacy of the freedom struggle, was challenged by the RSS since the 1930s, and has become a serious threat now. As we celebrate the 69th year of the Indian Constitution, we have to remember that a much inclusive form of nationalism lies at the core of our Constitution. Gopal Gandhi most aptly and crisply sums of the sentiment in the book as ‘India is all Indians and all Indians are India’. Habib opines that what is at stake now is the essence of ‘liberal nationalism, which the nation has nursed through the last century. The book is pretty well presented except a negligible misprint in the content page; there are two chapter ‘VI’s. In jest, perhaps the publishers did not want a chapter XIII, could have followed the British legacy of calling it ‘XII and Half’, a cabin so numbered in the ‘Woodburn Ward’ of PG Hospital, Kolkata during their regime. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: What is the essence of Indian nationalism?

<p>A dead body of a male was found hanging from a tree inside the forest area of Jawaharlal University campus in Delhi on Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The body is identified to be a 45-year-old&nbsp;driver, Ram Prakash.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The driver hailed from a small town Najafgarh&nbsp;in Southwest Delhi</p>

<p>The police and the Crime branch has reached the spot for investigating the death.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The case seems to be a suicide attempt, however, the police will conduct investigations from all angles.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The case seems to be a suicide attempt, however, the police will conduct investigations from all angles

A dead body of a male was found hanging from a tree inside the forest area of Jawaharlal University campus in Delhi on Tuesday. The body is identified to be a 45-year-old driver, Ram Prakash. The driver hailed from a small town Najafgarh in Southwest Delhi The police and the Crime branch has reached the spot for investigating the death. The case seems to be a suicide attempt, however, the police will conduct investigations from all angles.

Body found hanging in JNU campus forest area

<p>Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy was expected to interact with students of Delhi&#39;s Jawaharlal Nehru University at the institute&#39;s Koyna Hostel today. The session on &lsquo;Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya?&rsquo; was slated to begin at 9.30pm on December 6 but was cancelled by university authorities in what is being described as a unanimous decision.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Talk titled &#39; Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya?&#39; to be held in JNU&#39;s Koyna Hostel has been cancelled by University authorities. Subramanian Swamy was to take part in the talk.</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938271897090953216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;The competent authority has decided that no talk will take place at Koyna Hostel, JNU ON 6/12/2017. Hence the talk entitled, &quot;Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya&quot; which was going to take place in Koyna Hostel has been cancelled,&quot; read the official letter of cancellation tweeted by a user.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">So much for freedom of speech and tolerance.......Talk Of Dr Subramanian <a href="https://twitter.com/Swamy39?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Swamy39</a> at JNU tonight Wed 6th Dec 2017 at 9:30 pm &ldquo;Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya ?&rdquo;* has been cancelled as the organisers have been informed by JNU ! <a href="https://twitter.com/jagdishshetty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jagdishshetty</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/vhsindia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vhsindia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NATRAJSHETTY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NATRAJSHETTY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MaheshJoshi_MJ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaheshJoshi_MJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/4SWEEOX92P">pic.twitter.com/4SWEEOX92P</a></p>
&mdash; nikunj shah ???? (@niku1630) <a href="https://twitter.com/niku1630/status/938246518296809472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The letter was signed by the senior warden of Koyna Hostel. No explanation has been given so far for the cancellation.&nbsp;</p>


The decision by university authorities to cancel the session is being described as unanimous

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy was expected to interact with students of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University at the institute's Koyna Hostel today. The session on ‘Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya?’ was slated to begin at 9.30pm on December 6 but was cancelled by university authorities in what is being described as a unanimous decision. Talk titled ' Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya?' to be held in JNU's Koyna Hostel has been cancelled by University authorities. Subramanian Swamy was to take part in the talk. — ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 × "The competent authority has decided that no talk will take place at Koyna Hostel, JNU ON 6/12/2017. Hence the talk entitled, "Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya" which was going to take place in Koyna Hostel has been cancelled," read the official letter of cancellation tweeted by a user. So much for freedom of speech and tolerance.......Talk Of Dr Subramanian @Swamy39 at JNU tonight Wed 6th Dec 2017 at 9:30 pm “Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya ?”* has been cancelled as the organisers have been informed by JNU ! @jagdishshetty @vhsindia @NATRAJSHETTY @MaheshJoshi_MJ pic.twitter.com/4SWEEOX92P — nikunj shah ???? (@niku1630) December 6, 2017 × The letter was signed by the senior warden of Koyna Hostel. No explanation has been given so far for the cancellation.

JNU cancels Subramanian Swamy session on 'Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya?'

<p>The students of Jawaharlal Nehru University have accused the institute&#39;s administration of restricting&nbsp;content from certain media organisations on YouTube and other news portals on the campus, and of restricting Wifi. The&nbsp;university has, however, denied it.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">JNU administration, headed by RSS man <a href="https://twitter.com/mamidala90?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mamidala90</a>, has censored JNU WiFi. Students can&#39;t access content from AIB, The Wire, NDTV, YouTube videos related to student movements. Keyword search related to Mamata Bannerjee, Rahul Gandhi, Shehla Rashid, Kejriwal, Kanhaiya censored!!!</p>
&mdash; Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehla_Rashid/status/929387628889300994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) called it a &quot;politically motivated move&quot; and alleged, &quot;that all website and video links which have anti-government content have been restricted.&quot; Students demanded an inquiry into complaints that YouTube of several news websites was blocked for a day on the campus and Wi-fi being restored on Saturday night.</p>

<p>Students facing difficulty&nbsp;have also posted a video as proof, showing content filtration on youtube with the restricted&nbsp;university network.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/mamidala90?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mamidala90</a> this is your JNU sir . You have become a censor board. <a href="https://twitter.com/thewire_in?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thewire_in</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ndtv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ndtv</a> blocked by JNU WiFi. JNU presidential debates, protest visit, academic content too blocked.<a href="https://twitter.com/kavita_krishnan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kavita_krishnan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/omprasad_14?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@omprasad_14</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehla_Rashid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Shehla_Rashid</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/the_hindu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@the_hindu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/pherozevincent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pherozevincent</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/anantjnusu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@anantjnusu</a><br />
Part 1 <a href="https://t.co/rxg5Jpydsh">pic.twitter.com/rxg5Jpydsh</a></p>
&mdash; N Sai Balaji (@nsaibalaji) <a href="https://twitter.com/nsaibalaji/status/929320145230508032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>However the Rector-III, RP Singh said that there is no change in the URL filtering policy of JNU.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There is no change in the URL filtering policy of JNU.</p>
&mdash; Rana Pratap (@rpsingh_jnu) <a href="https://twitter.com/rpsingh_jnu/status/929340115708547072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Content related to former JNU student Kanhaiya Kumar, politicians Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamta Banerjee and other members of opposition parties is showing no results.</p>

<p>&quot;We are redirected to a page that says we are trying to access &#39;adult content.&#39; We cannot even access YouTube videos of previous presidential debates at JNU&quot;, said Geeta Kumari, the president of the JNU Students&#39;s union. reported by Hindustan Times</p>

<p>Many students took to social media and wrote Facebook posts condemning the move by the administration.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shocking. In a university, where freedom of thought and speech should be encouraged, JNU admin censors media <a href="https://t.co/nHjFFN10ap">https://t.co/nHjFFN10ap</a></p>
&mdash; Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah) <a href="https://twitter.com/bombaywallah/status/929394205583167489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>JNU has always been the centre&nbsp;of student controversies in the past. Students have been voicing diverse opinions, standing up for fundamental rights and political awareness.&nbsp;</p>


The students of Jawaharlal Nehru University have accused the institute's administration of restricting YouTube, Wifi and content from certain media organisations on the campus, but the university has denied it

The students of Jawaharlal Nehru University have accused the institute's administration of restricting content from certain media organisations on YouTube and other news portals on the campus, and of restricting Wifi. The university has, however, denied it. JNU administration, headed by RSS man @mamidala90, has censored JNU WiFi. Students can't access content from AIB, The Wire, NDTV, YouTube videos related to student movements. Keyword search related to Mamata Bannerjee, Rahul Gandhi, Shehla Rashid, Kejriwal, Kanhaiya censored!!! — Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) November 11, 2017 × The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) called it a "politically motivated move" and alleged, "that all website and video links which have anti-government content have been restricted." Students demanded an inquiry into complaints that YouTube of several news websites was blocked for a day on the campus and Wi-fi being restored on Saturday night. Students facing difficulty have also posted a video as proof, showing content filtration on youtube with the restricted university network. @mamidala90 this is your JNU sir . You have become a censor board. @thewire_in @ndtv blocked by JNU WiFi. JNU presidential debates, protest visit, academic content too blocked.@kavita_krishnan @omprasad_14 @Shehla_Rashid @the_hindu @pherozevincent @anantjnusu Part 1 pic.twitter.com/rxg5Jpydsh — N Sai Balaji (@nsaibalaji) November 11, 2017 × However the Rector-III, RP Singh said that there is no change in the URL filtering policy of JNU. There is no change in the URL filtering policy of JNU. — Rana Pratap (@rpsingh_jnu) November 11, 2017 × Content related to former JNU student Kanhaiya Kumar, politicians Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamta Banerjee and other members of opposition parties is showing no results. "We are redirected to a page that says we are trying to access 'adult content.' We cannot even access YouTube videos of previous presidential debates at JNU", said Geeta Kumari, the president of the JNU Students's union. reported by Hindustan Times Many students took to social media and wrote Facebook posts condemning the move by the administration. × Shocking. In a university, where freedom of thought and speech should be encouraged, JNU admin censors media https://t.co/nHjFFN10ap — Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah) November 11, 2017 × JNU has always been the centre of student controversies in the past. Students have been voicing diverse opinions, standing up for fundamental rights and political awareness.

JNU blocks YouTube, news portals, allege students

<p>Jawaharlal Nehru University authority has fined four students for cooking biryani on campus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The students have been fined between Rs 6000 and 10,000, PTI reported.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rs 6000 fine imposed on a student, he was involved in cooking Biryani near the stairs in front of Administrative building on 27th June, and eating it thereafter along with other students. This act is serious in nature: JNU <a href="https://t.co/zujhc2Iscp">pic.twitter.com/zujhc2Iscp</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/928855791733317633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The authorities say the students violated rules because they cooked the biryani in the administrative block.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The alleged biryani cooking happened in June.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The students have been given 10 days to pay their fines.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And the JNU authorities have warned of stringent action should they fail to do so.&nbsp;</p>

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The students have been fined between Rs 6,000 and 10,000

Jawaharlal Nehru University authority has fined four students for cooking biryani on campus. The students have been fined between Rs 6000 and 10,000, PTI reported. Rs 6000 fine imposed on a student, he was involved in cooking Biryani near the stairs in front of Administrative building on 27th June, and eating it thereafter along with other students. This act is serious in nature: JNU pic.twitter.com/zujhc2Iscp — ANI (@ANI) November 10, 2017 × The authorities say the students violated rules because they cooked the biryani in the administrative block. The alleged biryani cooking happened in June. The students have been given 10 days to pay their fines. And the JNU authorities have warned of stringent action should they fail to do so.

JNU fines four students for cooking biryani on campus

<p><strong>Why are the students protesting in BHU?</strong></p>

<p>A BHU student was allegedly molested on Thursday evening by three men on a motorbike.</p>

<p>The molesters allegedly passed disrespectful comments, shouted abuses and touch her inappropriately. The girl cried for help. Even though security guards were deployed only 50m away, nobody came to her rescue.</p>

<p>When the girl went back and complained to the warden, instead of escalating the matter to the concerned superior authorities, she questioned the girl for not being at the hostel at late hours. According to students, the incident happened a little after 6 pm.</p>

<p><strong>Sequence of protests</strong></p>

<p>Evey other girl of the renowned, prestigious Banaras Hindu University is a frequent victim of eve-teasing and other methods of molestation.</p>

<p>A series of protests unfolded after the incident. Initially, a group of women sat outside the warden&#39;s office at midnight on Thursday.<br />
<br />
On Friday, students took to the Lanka gate of the campus to protest, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Varanasi.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-girl-protesting-at-bhu-shaves-her-head-for-safety-20537">The victim&#39;s friend, who was herself eve-teased a month ago, shaved her head to display her disapproval.</a><br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">All support to BHU girls in their fight for gender justice. It&#39;s a revolution, but it won&#39;t be televised!<br />
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See picture 2 for the demands. <a href="https://t.co/ybYeo2errJ">pic.twitter.com/ybYeo2errJ</a></p>
&mdash; Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehla_Rashid/status/911544109399232512">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>As the word spread, students from other hostels and courses gathered outside the Vice Chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi&#39;s house to demand action from him.</p>

<p>According to a report in India Today, the chancellor asked 10 girls from the protest to meet with him, but they refused. They said that it is an age-old practice in BHU to suspend around 10 students during any such uprising to curb the protest.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Protests turn violent: Cops vs Students</strong></p>

<p>The protest took an ugly turn on Saturday evening when guards outside the VC&#39;s house called the cops. The police resorted to baton charge. Several students and two journalists were critically injured. Police claims that the students pelted stones at them. However, students deny the allegation.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BHU molestation case: University calls protest work of &#39;anti-nationals&#39; who want to malign institution <a href="https://t.co/SHUeEsjl83">https://t.co/SHUeEsjl83</a> <a href="https://t.co/yTKch82Alt">pic.twitter.com/yTKch82Alt</a></p>
&mdash; DNA (@dna) <a href="https://twitter.com/dna/status/912119465311035392">September 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A video of the police beating up students went viral on social media.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What a nasty way to respond to a crisis. All they wanted was a safer <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BHU?src=hash">#BHU</a> <a href="https://t.co/2xe1rIppHe">pic.twitter.com/2xe1rIppHe</a></p>
&mdash; tushar banerjee (@TusharBanerjee) <a href="https://twitter.com/TusharBanerjee/status/911656022674112515">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>BHU later issued a statement saying that the protests demanding safety for women in the campus was politically motivated. It is noteworthy that BHU does not have a student union, unlike the Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, which questions the notion of there being any political motive behind the demand.</p>

<p>When the students attempted to silently protest on Sunday, the police made them flee, scaring them off with sticks. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>&#39;Can our leaders keep us safe?&#39;</strong><br />
<br />
The students express utter disappointment in the way the authorities have handled the crisis. BJP leaders Yogi Adityanath and Modi are blamed for not being able to provide a safe environment to the girls.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bhu-clashes-yogi-adityanath-orders-probe-police-deployed-at-campus-20566">Yogi Adityanath has looked into the reports and is deploying police force in the campus.</a> The government remove five police officers for the negligence of duty and transferred them to other places. &nbsp;They are Manoj Kumar Singh, Susheel Kumar Gaur and Jagdamba Prasad Singh (all ACMs) and two others.</p>

<p>An internal inquiry found them guilty for the disturbance. At the same time, 1200 students have been charged for violence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The university has been shut till October 2 and there were reports that protesting women students had been told to vacate their hostel rooms.</p>

<p>The VC has promised that CCTV cameras will soon be installed in the campus.</p>

<p>The opposition has sharply criticised the state government. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi derided the state&#39;s ruling BJP saying the violence was the &quot;BJP version of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao in BHU&quot;.</p>

<p>Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav tweeted, &quot;Lathicharge on BHU students is condemnable. The government must find solutions through talks and not force. There should be action against those involved.&quot;</p>

<p><strong>Nationwide wrath</strong><br />
<br />
The incident has enraged masses all over the nation. A protest in Delhi University led by the Congress student wing, NSUI was held to condemn police action.</p>

<p>The protesting students said they would march to the Human Resources Development Ministry in Delhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Students in Jawaharlal Nehru University have also turned to the streets.&nbsp;</p>


The students express utter disappointment in the way the authorities have handled the crisis. BJP leaders Yogi Adityanath and Modi are blamed for not being able to provide a safe environment to the girls

Why are the students protesting in BHU? A BHU student was allegedly molested on Thursday evening by three men on a motorbike. The molesters allegedly passed disrespectful comments, shouted abuses and touch her inappropriately. The girl cried for help. Even though security guards were deployed only 50m away, nobody came to her rescue. When the girl went back and complained to the warden, instead of escalating the matter to the concerned superior authorities, she questioned the girl for not being at the hostel at late hours. According to students, the incident happened a little after 6 pm. Sequence of protests Evey other girl of the renowned, prestigious Banaras Hindu University is a frequent victim of eve-teasing and other methods of molestation. A series of protests unfolded after the incident. Initially, a group of women sat outside the warden's office at midnight on Thursday. On Friday, students took to the Lanka gate of the campus to protest, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Varanasi. The victim's friend, who was herself eve-teased a month ago, shaved her head to display her disapproval. All support to BHU girls in their fight for gender justice. It's a revolution, but it won't be televised! See picture 2 for the demands. pic.twitter.com/ybYeo2errJ — Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) September 23, 2017 × As the word spread, students from other hostels and courses gathered outside the Vice Chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi's house to demand action from him. According to a report in India Today, the chancellor asked 10 girls from the protest to meet with him, but they refused. They said that it is an age-old practice in BHU to suspend around 10 students during any such uprising to curb the protest. Protests turn violent: Cops vs Students The protest took an ugly turn on Saturday evening when guards outside the VC's house called the cops. The police resorted to baton charge. Several students and two journalists were critically injured. Police claims that the students pelted stones at them. However, students deny the allegation. BHU molestation case: University calls protest work of 'anti-nationals' who want to malign institution https://t.co/SHUeEsjl83 pic.twitter.com/yTKch82Alt — DNA (@dna) September 25, 2017 × A video of the police beating up students went viral on social media. What a nasty way to respond to a crisis. All they wanted was a safer #BHU pic.twitter.com/2xe1rIppHe — tushar banerjee (@TusharBanerjee) September 23, 2017 × BHU later issued a statement saying that the protests demanding safety for women in the campus was politically motivated. It is noteworthy that BHU does not have a student union, unlike the Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, which questions the notion of there being any political motive behind the demand. When the students attempted to silently protest on Sunday, the police made them flee, scaring them off with sticks. 'Can our leaders keep us safe?' The students express utter disappointment in the way the authorities have handled the crisis. BJP leaders Yogi Adityanath and Modi are blamed for not being able to provide a safe environment to the girls. Yogi Adityanath has looked into the reports and is deploying police force in the campus. The government remove five police officers for the negligence of duty and transferred them to other places. They are Manoj Kumar Singh, Susheel Kumar Gaur and Jagdamba Prasad Singh (all ACMs) and two others. An internal inquiry found them guilty for the disturbance. At the same time, 1200 students have been charged for violence. The university has been shut till October 2 and there were reports that protesting women students had been told to vacate their hostel rooms. The VC has promised that CCTV cameras will soon be installed in the campus. The opposition has sharply criticised the state government. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi derided the state's ruling BJP saying the violence was the "BJP version of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao in BHU". Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav tweeted, "Lathicharge on BHU students is condemnable. The government must find solutions through talks and not force. There should be action against those involved." Nationwide wrath The incident has enraged masses all over the nation. A protest in Delhi University led by the Congress student wing, NSUI was held to condemn police action. The protesting students said they would march to the Human Resources Development Ministry in Delhi. Students in Jawaharlal Nehru University have also turned to the streets.

BHU tension: Females feel unsafe, police beat students and nation questions the leaders

<p>The Centre has barred about&nbsp;hundred organisations from receiving foreign funds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some of these organisations are leading academic institutions like IIT Delhi, Delhi University, JNU, ICAR, IGNOU according&nbsp;to a &nbsp;PTI report.</p>

<p>The Supreme Court Bar Association has also been barred by the government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Union Home Ministry has cancelled the organisations&#39;&nbsp;registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA).</p>

<p>The registrations have been cancelled after the organisations failed to file their annual returns for five consecutive years (2010-11 to 2014-15) even after repeated reminders.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The registered organisations&nbsp;have violated the law according to which they need to submit the details of their income and expenditure to the government.</p>

<p>Organisations are not allowed to receive foreign funds until they are registered with the FCRA.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Centre has canceled the registrations after the organisations failed to file their annual returns for five consecutive years (2010-11 to 2014-15)

The Centre has barred about hundred organisations from receiving foreign funds. Some of these organisations are leading academic institutions like IIT Delhi, Delhi University, JNU, ICAR, IGNOU according to a PTI report. The Supreme Court Bar Association has also been barred by the government. The Union Home Ministry has cancelled the organisations' registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA). The registrations have been cancelled after the organisations failed to file their annual returns for five consecutive years (2010-11 to 2014-15) even after repeated reminders. The registered organisations have violated the law according to which they need to submit the details of their income and expenditure to the government. Organisations are not allowed to receive foreign funds until they are registered with the FCRA.

Centre bars JNU, DU, IIT Delhi from availing foreign funds

<p>The new regulations put forth by the University Grants Commission&rsquo;s (UGC) have opened a can of worms. A majority of&nbsp;teaching faculty as well as&nbsp;student bodies across the country are protesting against what they term as &ldquo;irrational, unreasonable and arbitrary&rdquo; set of rules. The proposed changes now mirror&nbsp;a step towards favouring exclusion and discrimination against the less-advantaged.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Apart from a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/exploring-the-larger-picture-behind-new-ugc-regulations-14602"> cap</a> on the number of MPhil and PhD students who can now be supervised by a university teacher, there are talks of doing away with deprivation points in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) of India. Deprivation points are a part of JNU&rsquo;s unique admission policy of awarding special points to applicants from backward areas and marginalised communities. Upto a maximum of 12 points are given to candidates from rural areas of the country, female or transgender students, Kashmiri migrants, minorities, and students belonging to SC, ST and OBC.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>WION&#39;s exclusive coverage of the new UGC regulations:&nbsp;</h3>

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<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FmV-pchgFo4" width="970"></iframe></p>

<p>Lata Singh, Chairperson of Centre for Women&rsquo;s Studies (CWS) of JNU reflects on the hypocrisy at the administrative level. She says, &ldquo;On one hand we want to be comparable to a world class university and get global rankings, on the other we don&rsquo;t want adequate representation of all sections of the society. Inclusivity is the key--we need to bring the 70 per cent&nbsp;marginalised people of India in the centre.&rdquo;</p>

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<h5>we need to bring the 70 per cent&nbsp;marginalised people of India in the centre</h5>
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<p>Singh highlights that a university like JNU with deprivation points was enabling many &ldquo;first generations to acquire higher education&rdquo;. &ldquo;There are many first generations studying here at CWS. I personally know of many such stories--one student is from a family of Dalits, who has made it this far for the first time. There is another student where the girl&rsquo;s parents are construction workers and she is the only one doing research. If deprivation points weren&rsquo;t in practice, these students would never have been able to make it. These youngsters would have remained in the circle of job their parents are currently in. Thus, never breaking the cycle,&rdquo; Singh adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>JNU Teachers&rsquo; Association (JNUTA) states that the university campus is considered non-discriminatory and safe for women. In 2017, more women (453) than men (433) joined the MPhil or PhD programme, according to teachers&rsquo; data. Doing away with deprivation points would &ldquo;act as an impediment in maintaining a good representation of women scholars of the country&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>G. Arunima, Professor at CWS says, &ldquo;I am appalled and feel that this is a colossal mistake -- Deprivation point system is the contribution of this university to a new way of thinking.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It is over and above the constitutionally mandated system.</p>

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<p>&ldquo;Now among the kind that get the benefit of deprivation points, one are female students and they are not homogenous -- it is important to understand how many of them are Dalit, Muslim, Adivasi students or belonging to backward and small town regions. In a country where girls are barely sent to study, this system changed the complexion of the university. And it is not mechanical, it changes the kind of of discussion that happens in the classroom -- students from diverse backgrounds bring in certain kinds of criticality that will force you to rethink certain assumptions you work with.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Teachers from different schools in the university are worried that &ldquo;JNU is under threat--all the things it stood for will be threatened with this move&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arunima says, &ldquo;We should not be moving toward homogeneity, we should appreciate the diversity and that is where deprivation points play their role. There are students who have been working in order to study here. They have worked in construction sites, as drivers, they have fought with their families asking not to get in their way of higher education. After masters, there is pressure to get married. I have tried to figure out in our Centre how to get projects for girls so that they can stay and do research.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I cannot believe we are living through this time. It&#39;s not just building a case for us, we worry what the future is. Universities provide a progressive space, it is about critical thinking. What will we do without a country with critical thinking?&rdquo; she says.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In March 2017, Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by JNU students, stating that the university cannot formulate its own admission policy -- declaring the system of deprivation point as &ldquo;legally impermissible&rdquo;. This is being observed by teachers and students as &ldquo;taking away from JNU&nbsp;its multiplicity of voices&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>In March 2017, Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by JNU students, stating that the university cannot formulate its own admission policy -- declaring the system of deprivation point as &ldquo;legally impermissible&rdquo;</h5>
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<p>Students, who are collectively reeling under a lot of pressure after the seat reduction for research applicants, cite the removal of deprivation points as &ldquo;contrary to the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy&rdquo;. In their petition, they also challenged the provisions of laying down a minimum percentage requirement of 55 per cent&nbsp;for General category and 50 per cent&nbsp;for Reserved category as well as 100 per cent&nbsp;weightage given to viva voice.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ajay Kumar Patnaik, Professor in Centre for Russian Studies and School of International Studies who also held the position of the President of JNUTA twice does not mince words at all. Left with no seats this year for admitting research students in his Centre, he sees UGC&rsquo;s move as a &ldquo;dictat&rdquo;. He says, &ldquo;This is a public funded university and the people of the country have the right to get educated here. They should have given the university time to rationalise this. UGC just gave a dictat. UGC has also stopped scholarships.&rdquo;</p>

<p>He also strongly feels that &ldquo;diversity of universities should be taken into account&rdquo;. He says, &ldquo;Our autonomy should have been respected. UGC must not try to destroy the future of JNU. Students from all sections come here, make it here and then go on to do big things. No admissions this year, will affect the future generations.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Patnaik served as the chairman of the Deprivation Points Committee, JNU till last year. He says, &ldquo;Last year we revised and tweaked the deprivation points scheme so that it benefits students from backward districts--both girls and boys. The best part about the scheme is that it&rsquo;s caste-neutral but now this has all been done away with. The UGC regulations is anti-deprived areas, anti-backward people.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Associate Professor, SS Maitra of School of Biotechnology, JNU, however, differs on his view on deprivation points.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Even within the reserved categories, backgrounds vary. One&rsquo;s father may be an IAS officer and another a construction worker. So therefore, their deprivation differs. The two of them get the same benefits of the deprivation point system. The quota system is rigid here and anybody can take advantage of it, irrespective of their family backgrounds. Such a system might work if students are categorised based on their financial status and family backgrounds,&rdquo;he says.</p>

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<p>Another issue at hand is also to restrict the scope of research topics feels Lata Singh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Singh adds, &ldquo;Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is only doing research on mythology. Their topics are &lsquo;Ram Setu, river Saraswati, Ramjanmabhoomi&rsquo;--they want to rewrite history. They want to promote research on our glorious history and past.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Here in JNU, students are researching on various things: body and sexuality, transgender rights. AFSPA in Kashmir. They don&rsquo;t want that. They tell us: &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t talk about body and sexuality.&rsquo; But then ironically also want to be in the global rankings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;In all selection committee, RSS candidates don&rsquo;t get shortlisted because of the nature of their research proposal. So they want a backdoor entry,&rdquo; she adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Manvendra Chauhan, Office Secretary in the ABVP unit of JNU feels that &ldquo;in all this chaos JNU has been impacted the most out of all other universities because it has the highest number of research scholars&rdquo;. He says, &ldquo;This year also JNU got All India Rank 2nd just because of the quality of research but the future doesn&rsquo;t look too promising.&rdquo;</p>

<p>On deprivation points, he adds, &ldquo;Deprivation points are being implemented more or less, in admission. The matter is still pending in the courts so let&#39;s see.&rdquo;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


From deprivation points to monitoring what students can research on, UGC casts a long shadow on Indian universities

The new regulations put forth by the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) have opened a can of worms. A majority of teaching faculty as well as student bodies across the country are protesting against what they term as “irrational, unreasonable and arbitrary” set of rules. The proposed changes now mirror a step towards favouring exclusion and discrimination against the less-advantaged. Apart from a cap on the number of MPhil and PhD students who can now be supervised by a university teacher, there are talks of doing away with deprivation points in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) of India. Deprivation points are a part of JNU’s unique admission policy of awarding special points to applicants from backward areas and marginalised communities. Upto a maximum of 12 points are given to candidates from rural areas of the country, female or transgender students, Kashmiri migrants, minorities, and students belonging to SC, ST and OBC. WION's exclusive coverage of the new UGC regulations: Lata Singh, Chairperson of Centre for Women’s Studies (CWS) of JNU reflects on the hypocrisy at the administrative level. She says, “On one hand we want to be comparable to a world class university and get global rankings, on the other we don’t want adequate representation of all sections of the society. Inclusivity is the key--we need to bring the 70 per cent marginalised people of India in the centre.” we need to bring the 70 per cent marginalised people of India in the centre × Singh highlights that a university like JNU with deprivation points was enabling many “first generations to acquire higher education”. “There are many first generations studying here at CWS. I personally know of many such stories--one student is from a family of Dalits, who has made it this far for the first time. There is another student where the girl’s parents are construction workers and she is the only one doing research. If deprivation points weren’t in practice, these students would never have been able to make it. These youngsters would have remained in the circle of job their parents are currently in. Thus, never breaking the cycle,” Singh adds. JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) states that the university campus is considered non-discriminatory and safe for women. In 2017, more women (453) than men (433) joined the MPhil or PhD programme, according to teachers’ data. Doing away with deprivation points would “act as an impediment in maintaining a good representation of women scholars of the country”. G. Arunima, Professor at CWS says, “I am appalled and feel that this is a colossal mistake -- Deprivation point system is the contribution of this university to a new way of thinking. “It is over and above the constitutionally mandated system. The girl’s parents are construction workers and she is the only one doing research. If deprivation points weren’t in practice, these students would never have been able to make it. × “Now among the kind that get the benefit of deprivation points, one are female students and they are not homogenous -- it is important to understand how many of them are Dalit, Muslim, Adivasi students or belonging to backward and small town regions. In a country where girls are barely sent to study, this system changed the complexion of the university. And it is not mechanical, it changes the kind of of discussion that happens in the classroom -- students from diverse backgrounds bring in certain kinds of criticality that will force you to rethink certain assumptions you work with.” Teachers from different schools in the university are worried that “JNU is under threat--all the things it stood for will be threatened with this move”. Arunima says, “We should not be moving toward homogeneity, we should appreciate the diversity and that is where deprivation points play their role. There are students who have been working in order to study here. They have worked in construction sites, as drivers, they have fought with their families asking not to get in their way of higher education. After masters, there is pressure to get married. I have tried to figure out in our Centre how to get projects for girls so that they can stay and do research. “I cannot believe we are living through this time. It's not just building a case for us, we worry what the future is. Universities provide a progressive space, it is about critical thinking. What will we do without a country with critical thinking?” she says. In March 2017, Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by JNU students, stating that the university cannot formulate its own admission policy -- declaring the system of deprivation point as “legally impermissible”. This is being observed by teachers and students as “taking away from JNU its multiplicity of voices”. In March 2017, Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by JNU students, stating that the university cannot formulate its own admission policy -- declaring the system of deprivation point as “legally impermissible” × Students, who are collectively reeling under a lot of pressure after the seat reduction for research applicants, cite the removal of deprivation points as “contrary to the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy”. In their petition, they also challenged the provisions of laying down a minimum percentage requirement of 55 per cent for General category and 50 per cent for Reserved category as well as 100 per cent weightage given to viva voice. Ajay Kumar Patnaik, Professor in Centre for Russian Studies and School of International Studies who also held the position of the President of JNUTA twice does not mince words at all. Left with no seats this year for admitting research students in his Centre, he sees UGC’s move as a “dictat”. He says, “This is a public funded university and the people of the country have the right to get educated here. They should have given the university time to rationalise this. UGC just gave a dictat. UGC has also stopped scholarships.” He also strongly feels that “diversity of universities should be taken into account”. He says, “Our autonomy should have been respected. UGC must not try to destroy the future of JNU. Students from all sections come here, make it here and then go on to do big things. No admissions this year, will affect the future generations.” Patnaik served as the chairman of the Deprivation Points Committee, JNU till last year. He says, “Last year we revised and tweaked the deprivation points scheme so that it benefits students from backward districts--both girls and boys. The best part about the scheme is that it’s caste-neutral but now this has all been done away with. The UGC regulations is anti-deprived areas, anti-backward people.” Associate Professor, SS Maitra of School of Biotechnology, JNU, however, differs on his view on deprivation points. “Even within the reserved categories, backgrounds vary. One’s father may be an IAS officer and another a construction worker. So therefore, their deprivation differs. The two of them get the same benefits of the deprivation point system. The quota system is rigid here and anybody can take advantage of it, irrespective of their family backgrounds. Such a system might work if students are categorised based on their financial status and family backgrounds,”he says. One’s father may be an IAS officer and another a construction worker. So therefore, their deprivation differs. The two of them get the same benefits of the deprivation point system. × Another issue at hand is also to restrict the scope of research topics feels Lata Singh. Singh adds, “Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is only doing research on mythology. Their topics are ‘Ram Setu, river Saraswati, Ramjanmabhoomi’--they want to rewrite history. They want to promote research on our glorious history and past. “Here in JNU, students are researching on various things: body and sexuality, transgender rights. AFSPA in Kashmir. They don’t want that. They tell us: ‘Don’t talk about body and sexuality.’ But then ironically also want to be in the global rankings. “In all selection committee, RSS candidates don’t get shortlisted because of the nature of their research proposal. So they want a backdoor entry,” she adds. Manvendra Chauhan, Office Secretary in the ABVP unit of JNU feels that “in all this chaos JNU has been impacted the most out of all other universities because it has the highest number of research scholars”. He says, “This year also JNU got All India Rank 2nd just because of the quality of research but the future doesn’t look too promising.” On deprivation points, he adds, “Deprivation points are being implemented more or less, in admission. The matter is still pending in the courts so let's see.” (WION)

New UGC regulations will affect the weaker and disadvantaged sections the most

<p>Witnessing a series of changes, higher education in India is ready to get a makeover of sorts, but is it for good? Discussing these issues and how it affects all factions concerned in a university space, WION visits the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).&nbsp;</p>

<p>G. Arunima, Professor at Centre for Women&rsquo;s Studies (CWS) School of Social Sciences, JNU was taken aback by the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations concerning seat cut for research across universities of the country. Being a founding member of the CWS, she says, &ldquo;We were going to expand and also start a masters program at the centre. At this point, you get sledgehammered on your head -- I&rsquo;m sorry, this is a cap.&rdquo;</p>

<h3>Watch: WION&#39;s exclusive coverage of new UGC regulations:</h3>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FmV-pchgFo4" width="970"></iframe></p>

<p>According to new regulations put forth by the UGC, which is tasked by the Indian Parliament for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education--there will now be a cap on the number of MPhil and PhD students a professor can supervise at a time.</p>

<p>Apart from seat reduction in research, the new regulations also make written examinations a qualifier for viva voice with weightage for selection depending solely on viva voice.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arunima explores how hierarchical the scheme of seat capping is. She says, &ldquo;A young person who is finishing PhD and coming into the teaching profession is throbbing with excitement -- how do you stop them from supervising and tell them that you can only have one student. On what ground is it assumed that once you have gone through a certain age or have been a senior member is only when you can supervise more students?&rdquo;</p>

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<p><strong>Privatisation of education sector in India</strong></p>

<p>While most teachers at the university find the move arbitrary and don&rsquo;t feel nice about being left out of the discussion process, Lata Singh, Chairperson of Centre for Women&rsquo;s Studies believes that &ldquo;there are several conspiracy theories behind the cap&rdquo;. She emphasises that &ldquo;it is about power, autonomy, and privatisation: pay and study model is what they want to employ&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Singh adds, &ldquo;They are aiming for privatisation. We can already see mushrooming of private universities which will ultimately have collaborations with foreign universities and serve the elite or those who can fund their higher education. How the health sector in India is largely private, education of India is also turning to privatisation slowly.&rdquo;</p>

<h3>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/new-ugc-regulations-will-affect-the-weaker-and-disadvantaged-sections-the-most-14645">How the new UGC regulations will affect the weaker sections the most</a></h3>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arunima also agrees that privatisation is a major motive behind the cap.</p>

<p>&ldquo;With the cap and privatisation coming to play, underprivileged students will have no access to higher education. How many can afford private universities? They are killing the dreams of a generation. Scholarships are not coming on time, fees are very high. If things were not so serious, one would laugh but it is so, so scary. JNU is becoming something that most of us do not recognise&rdquo;, says Arunima.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p><strong>Tampering the character of universities</strong></p>

<p>Every university has a soul of its own, its own character and is distinctly unique from any other university. Teaching faculty as well as the students feel that this move would change the communication patterns within the campus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gaurish from Kerala is a second year student of Masters in Arts and Aesthetics. He is disturbed and feels clueless about his future. He says, &ldquo;All students in my department are very worried and disturbed. There are hardly five seats in each stream of my department and we don&#39;t know what to do. Even to apply in a publication, we will need to showcase our research or papers. JNU gives a space where you can discover yourself and opportunities but the campus itself has changed a lot, everybody seems to be depressed.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Reiterating that UGC should have thought through before coming with a mandate, he says, &ldquo;Teachers have to have a say in these things. It&rsquo;s not taking into consideration what each university stands for, admin hasn&#39;t had a proper dialogue with teachers. I don&rsquo;t think it would work.&rdquo;</p>

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<p><strong>Overburdening or Redundancy?</strong>&nbsp;</p>

<p>UGC comes out with guidelines every once-in-a-while to better the workings of our universities, but teachers feel the reason given by UGC does not stand the test of time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arunima differs with the reasoning and adds, &ldquo;We are not overburdened. We ourselves decided the cap based on faculty strength. The students are given the option of choosing their mentor based on the research topics. There has got to be a creative, thoughtful and academic way to arrive at the numbers -- based on the faculty strength and we need to have a discussion constantly. Most serious academic institutions do that. It&rsquo;s not that anyone is arbitrarily saying that let&rsquo;s bring the entire universe to the university.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The exceptional status of JNU - it is envisaged as a research university.</p>

<p>&ldquo;If I was in the UGC, I would applaud that JNU does these things&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While exploring different angles, it is also important to bring in the perspective of Teachers Body like Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA). Ajay Kumar Patnaik, Professor in Centre for Russian Studies and School of International Studies who also held the position of the President of JNUTA twice also claims that the teachers are not pressurised.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Patnaik says, &ldquo;You can&#39;t equate teachers from JNU with other university teachers, because we don&#39;t have the same load shared by other university teachers. We don&#39;t have undergraduate students.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;You can&#39;t have a higher education institution when there is no student. This is a department which admitted 40 students every year. This year, it&#39;s zero. For next two years or so, I will be getting my salary for nothing, without taking any classes, without teaching and it&rsquo;s not a good feeling. In a country where the share of students going to higher education is still very low, so to restrict students from getting higher education is a crime. JNU has top ranks--at a time like this when more number of students want to join the university they can&rsquo;t join-- it&rsquo;s a tragic situation.&rdquo;</p>

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<p><strong>Is the new regulation, a work of the government?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Lata Singh believes that JNU, being the voice of critique, has come under the scanner. She questions: &ldquo;Very clearly the government is taking the name of UGC. Why should otherwise Ministry of Human Resource Development come to defense in the Parliament? Why isn&rsquo;t UGC made to answer on its own?&rdquo;</p>

<p>She adds, &ldquo;No government will like to hear this. Critique of Hindutva for contemporary government is a problem.&rdquo;</p>

<p>She also proposes a theory that &ldquo;this is a strategy for backdoor entry of government-favoured candidates.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Some professors, however, believe that the regulations are not such a bad thing.</p>

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<h5>I speak for the science school and I feel the cap is not such a bad idea</h5>
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<p>SS Maitra, Associate Professor of Biochemical Engineering, says a regulation of this kind was long overdue and such a cap will only enhance the quality of research scholars produced by the university.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;It is only impossible to accommodate more than eight students in a science school because the lab is only 600 sq ft large and we have to fit in equipment as well as students in that space. I speak for the science school and I feel the cap is not such a bad idea. Some professors have 1-2 students and others have 16-18 -- it is unfair and is like oiling the oily head.</p>

<p>Professors take in more students only to build their reputation. A professor with 15 students will definitely not be able to give equal attention to all his students,&rdquo; says Maitra.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Passed as a mandate by the UGC, the new rules are applicable across the country. Both students and teachers fear for the future of the university spaces as well as career paths of those who had especially prepared to join universities like JNU in this academic session.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


'I will be getting my salary for nothing, without taking any classes--and it?s not a good feeling', says Prof AK Patnaik of JNU

Witnessing a series of changes, higher education in India is ready to get a makeover of sorts, but is it for good? Discussing these issues and how it affects all factions concerned in a university space, WION visits the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). G. Arunima, Professor at Centre for Women’s Studies (CWS) School of Social Sciences, JNU was taken aback by the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations concerning seat cut for research across universities of the country. Being a founding member of the CWS, she says, “We were going to expand and also start a masters program at the centre. At this point, you get sledgehammered on your head -- I’m sorry, this is a cap.” Watch: WION's exclusive coverage of new UGC regulations: According to new regulations put forth by the UGC, which is tasked by the Indian Parliament for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education--there will now be a cap on the number of MPhil and PhD students a professor can supervise at a time. Apart from seat reduction in research, the new regulations also make written examinations a qualifier for viva voice with weightage for selection depending solely on viva voice. Arunima explores how hierarchical the scheme of seat capping is. She says, “A young person who is finishing PhD and coming into the teaching profession is throbbing with excitement -- how do you stop them from supervising and tell them that you can only have one student. On what ground is it assumed that once you have gone through a certain age or have been a senior member is only when you can supervise more students?” It is about power, autonomy, and privatisation: pay and study model is what they want to employ × Privatisation of education sector in India While most teachers at the university find the move arbitrary and don’t feel nice about being left out of the discussion process, Lata Singh, Chairperson of Centre for Women’s Studies believes that “there are several conspiracy theories behind the cap”. She emphasises that “it is about power, autonomy, and privatisation: pay and study model is what they want to employ”. Singh adds, “They are aiming for privatisation. We can already see mushrooming of private universities which will ultimately have collaborations with foreign universities and serve the elite or those who can fund their higher education. How the health sector in India is largely private, education of India is also turning to privatisation slowly.” Also read: How the new UGC regulations will affect the weaker sections the most Arunima also agrees that privatisation is a major motive behind the cap. “With the cap and privatisation coming to play, underprivileged students will have no access to higher education. How many can afford private universities? They are killing the dreams of a generation. Scholarships are not coming on time, fees are very high. If things were not so serious, one would laugh but it is so, so scary. JNU is becoming something that most of us do not recognise”, says Arunima. Scholarships are not coming on time, fees are very high. If things were not so serious, one would laugh but it is so, so scary × Tampering the character of universities Every university has a soul of its own, its own character and is distinctly unique from any other university. Teaching faculty as well as the students feel that this move would change the communication patterns within the campus. Gaurish from Kerala is a second year student of Masters in Arts and Aesthetics. He is disturbed and feels clueless about his future. He says, “All students in my department are very worried and disturbed. There are hardly five seats in each stream of my department and we don't know what to do. Even to apply in a publication, we will need to showcase our research or papers. JNU gives a space where you can discover yourself and opportunities but the campus itself has changed a lot, everybody seems to be depressed.” Reiterating that UGC should have thought through before coming with a mandate, he says, “Teachers have to have a say in these things. It’s not taking into consideration what each university stands for, admin hasn't had a proper dialogue with teachers. I don’t think it would work.” All students in my department are very worried and disturbed. There are hardly five seats in each stream of my department and we don't know what to do × Overburdening or Redundancy? UGC comes out with guidelines every once-in-a-while to better the workings of our universities, but teachers feel the reason given by UGC does not stand the test of time. Arunima differs with the reasoning and adds, “We are not overburdened. We ourselves decided the cap based on faculty strength. The students are given the option of choosing their mentor based on the research topics. There has got to be a creative, thoughtful and academic way to arrive at the numbers -- based on the faculty strength and we need to have a discussion constantly. Most serious academic institutions do that. It’s not that anyone is arbitrarily saying that let’s bring the entire universe to the university. “The exceptional status of JNU - it is envisaged as a research university. “If I was in the UGC, I would applaud that JNU does these things”. While exploring different angles, it is also important to bring in the perspective of Teachers Body like Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA). Ajay Kumar Patnaik, Professor in Centre for Russian Studies and School of International Studies who also held the position of the President of JNUTA twice also claims that the teachers are not pressurised. Patnaik says, “You can't equate teachers from JNU with other university teachers, because we don't have the same load shared by other university teachers. We don't have undergraduate students. “You can't have a higher education institution when there is no student. This is a department which admitted 40 students every year. This year, it's zero. For next two years or so, I will be getting my salary for nothing, without taking any classes, without teaching and it’s not a good feeling. In a country where the share of students going to higher education is still very low, so to restrict students from getting higher education is a crime. JNU has top ranks--at a time like this when more number of students want to join the university they can’t join-- it’s a tragic situation.” In a country where the share of students going to higher education is still very low, so to restrict students from getting higher education is a crime × Is the new regulation, a work of the government? Lata Singh believes that JNU, being the voice of critique, has come under the scanner. She questions: “Very clearly the government is taking the name of UGC. Why should otherwise Ministry of Human Resource Development come to defense in the Parliament? Why isn’t UGC made to answer on its own?” She adds, “No government will like to hear this. Critique of Hindutva for contemporary government is a problem.” She also proposes a theory that “this is a strategy for backdoor entry of government-favoured candidates.” Some professors, however, believe that the regulations are not such a bad thing. I speak for the science school and I feel the cap is not such a bad idea × SS Maitra, Associate Professor of Biochemical Engineering, says a regulation of this kind was long overdue and such a cap will only enhance the quality of research scholars produced by the university. “It is only impossible to accommodate more than eight students in a science school because the lab is only 600 sq ft large and we have to fit in equipment as well as students in that space. I speak for the science school and I feel the cap is not such a bad idea. Some professors have 1-2 students and others have 16-18 -- it is unfair and is like oiling the oily head. Professors take in more students only to build their reputation. A professor with 15 students will definitely not be able to give equal attention to all his students,” says Maitra. Passed as a mandate by the UGC, the new rules are applicable across the country. Both students and teachers fear for the future of the university spaces as well as career paths of those who had especially prepared to join universities like JNU in this academic session. (WION)

Exploring the larger picture behind new UGC regulations

<p>After several rejections, JNU will now offer a short-term course in yoga philosphy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The course has been approved by the university&#39;s academic council,&nbsp;which had earlier rejected it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Academic Council on Thursday. It will be an excellent idea to celebrate Yoga Day (on June 21) by approving the much-debated course,&quot; PTI reported a a senior university official as saying.</p>

<p>The proposal to introduce the course on yoga and two courses on Indian culture was first floated in 2015.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hindu right-wing organisations like the RSS have been keen on propagating &quot;Indian culture&quot; on campuses.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the courses were rejected by the academic council.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PTI reported that the &quot;proposal was rejected by the Academic Council (AC), the university&#39;s statutory decision making body, in November, 2015. However, the varsity had in May last year decided to reconsider it and the departments were asked to rework on the proposed course structure and place it before the council.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>And that &quot;the proposal was again rejected in the Academic Council meeting in October last year.</p>

<p>Teachers from JNU though have been at pains to point out that the courses were not &quot;rejected&quot; -- but sent back for reconsideration and reworking because they had been found wanting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While the course in yoga philosophy has now been approved, there is no word yet on the two courses proposed on Indian culture.</p>


The course was approved by the university's Academic Council

After several rejections, JNU will now offer a short-term course in yoga philosphy. The course has been approved by the university's academic council, which had earlier rejected it. "A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Academic Council on Thursday. It will be an excellent idea to celebrate Yoga Day (on June 21) by approving the much-debated course," PTI reported a a senior university official as saying. The proposal to introduce the course on yoga and two courses on Indian culture was first floated in 2015. Hindu right-wing organisations like the RSS have been keen on propagating "Indian culture" on campuses. But the courses were rejected by the academic council. PTI reported that the "proposal was rejected by the Academic Council (AC), the university's statutory decision making body, in November, 2015. However, the varsity had in May last year decided to reconsider it and the departments were asked to rework on the proposed course structure and place it before the council." And that "the proposal was again rejected in the Academic Council meeting in October last year. Teachers from JNU though have been at pains to point out that the courses were not "rejected" -- but sent back for reconsideration and reworking because they had been found wanting. While the course in yoga philosophy has now been approved, there is no word yet on the two courses proposed on Indian culture.

After several rejections, JNU approves yoga course

<p>India&#39;s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has won the annual Visitor&#39;s Award for best university in the country.</p>

<p>JNU vice chancellor Jagadesh Kumar will receive the award, which includes a citation and a trophy, from President Pranab Mukherjee at Rasthrapati Bhavan on March 6, PTI reported.</p>

<p>&quot;The winners of Visitor&#39;s Award for &#39;Innovation&#39; and &#39;Research&#39; will receive a citation and cash award of Rs one lakh. The awards will be presented during a function as part of the &#39;Festival of Innovations&#39;,&quot; a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan (President&#39;s House) said.</p>

<p>&quot;Deepak Pant from Central University of Himachal Pradesh has won the Visitor&#39;s Award for &#39;Innovation&#39; while the Visitor&#39;s Award for &#39;Research&#39; has been jointly won by Shyam Sunder from Banaras Hindu University and Niranjan Karak from Tezpur University,&quot; the Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said.</p>

<p>Pant won for his development of a reactor that convers waste plastic to LPG. Sunder will be awarded for his work on the diagnosis and treatment of black fever. Karak is being recognised for his development of polymer nano-composites.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">JNU &amp; Jadavpur University didn&#39;t get rankings for Afzal guru &amp; anti-India slogans but for good work done by students: P Javadekar, HRD Min <a href="https://t.co/xLJkIm6xue">pic.twitter.com/xLJkIm6xue</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/848829928493563904">April 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>One of India&#39;s top universities, JNU has been in the news recently for very different reasons.</p>

<p>Last February, three of its students were arrested and charged with sedition. Police claimed they had raised anti-national slogans.</p>

<p>JNU therefore, with its liberal bent of mind, has often been derogatorily referred to as a &quot;den of anti-nationals&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Students have also protested against the university administration for clamping down&nbsp;on their protests, making amendments to the university&#39;s admission policy, and their decision to pare MPhil and PhD seats.</p>

<p>President Pranab Mukherjee had announced the institution of the Visitor&#39;s Awards in 2014 with the aim of promoting healthy competition among the central universities and to motivate them to adopt best practices from around the world.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


It won the Visitor's Award for best university. The awards were instituted by President Pranab Mukherjee in 2014

India's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has won the annual Visitor's Award for best university in the country. JNU vice chancellor Jagadesh Kumar will receive the award, which includes a citation and a trophy, from President Pranab Mukherjee at Rasthrapati Bhavan on March 6, PTI reported. "The winners of Visitor's Award for 'Innovation' and 'Research' will receive a citation and cash award of Rs one lakh. The awards will be presented during a function as part of the 'Festival of Innovations'," a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's House) said. "Deepak Pant from Central University of Himachal Pradesh has won the Visitor's Award for 'Innovation' while the Visitor's Award for 'Research' has been jointly won by Shyam Sunder from Banaras Hindu University and Niranjan Karak from Tezpur University," the Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said. Pant won for his development of a reactor that convers waste plastic to LPG. Sunder will be awarded for his work on the diagnosis and treatment of black fever. Karak is being recognised for his development of polymer nano-composites. JNU & Jadavpur University didn't get rankings for Afzal guru & anti-India slogans but for good work done by students: P Javadekar, HRD Min pic.twitter.com/xLJkIm6xue — ANI (@ANI_news) April 3, 2017 × One of India's top universities, JNU has been in the news recently for very different reasons. Last February, three of its students were arrested and charged with sedition. Police claimed they had raised anti-national slogans. JNU therefore, with its liberal bent of mind, has often been derogatorily referred to as a "den of anti-nationals". Students have also protested against the university administration for clamping down on their protests, making amendments to the university's admission policy, and their decision to pare MPhil and PhD seats. President Pranab Mukherjee had announced the institution of the Visitor's Awards in 2014 with the aim of promoting healthy competition among the central universities and to motivate them to adopt best practices from around the world. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Best Indian university? That 'den of anti-nationals' JNU

<p>Kolkata&#39;s Jadavpur University witnessed &#39;Azaadi&#39;(freedom) slogans being raised as a mark of protest against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday, a day later&nbsp;Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Left-leaning parties of &#39;poisoning the minds of the youth&#39;.</p>

<p>Last year, the &#39;azaadi&#39;(freedom) chant by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Kanhaiya Kumar had led to a face-off between the Indian government and students at&nbsp;the University campus area&nbsp;led&nbsp;to&nbsp;student arrests and widespread agitation against the central government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The government then pressed sedition charges against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya which further inflamed the situation leading to clashes between students and police in the JNU campus.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kolkata: These kind of adventurous anti-national slogans can&#39;t be supported: Partho Chatterjee,TMC on &lsquo;Azadi&rsquo; slogans at Jadavpur University <a href="https://t.co/TPwuEI0q1M">pic.twitter.com/TPwuEI0q1M</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/848812283874615297">April 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>On Sunday, the students at Jadavpur University were seen holding placards which read: &quot;Yogi is the new Trump...Brahminical version of white supremacy&quot; and they raised slogans like &quot;Azaadi&quot;, &quot;<em>Halla Bol</em>&quot; and &quot;RSS <em>door </em><em>hatao</em>&quot;. The slogans were raised by the students in front of the Academy of Fine Arts where an international seminar on the persecution of minority Hindu Buddhist Christians in Bangladesh was going on yesterday.</p>

<p>BJP hit out against the sloganeering with &nbsp;BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao, declaring, &quot;I hold all the political parties that have affiliation to these students groups for not guiding them properly. And these Left leaning parties are actually left with a rump in the Parliament; the people have rejected them all over the country.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;And if they continue with their attempts in poisoning the minds of the youth, these Left leaning parties will completely disappear. This is clearly an act, which is not in the national interest,&quot; the BJP leader added.</p>

<p>&nbsp;Bengal&#39;s BJP MP Roopa Ganguly said, &quot;The protest against the RSS is nothing but a mere publicity stunt.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>A Jadavpur University student shouts &#39;Azaadi&#39; for Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland and Mizoram. (ANI)</p>
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<p>(WION with ANI inputs)</p>


Students at Jadavpur University were seen holding placards which read: 'Yogi is the new Trump...Brahminical version of white supremacy'

Kolkata's Jadavpur University witnessed 'Azaadi'(freedom) slogans being raised as a mark of protest against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday, a day later Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Left-leaning parties of 'poisoning the minds of the youth'. Last year, the 'azaadi'(freedom) chant by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Kanhaiya Kumar had led to a face-off between the Indian government and students at the University campus area led to student arrests and widespread agitation against the central government. The government then pressed sedition charges against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya which further inflamed the situation leading to clashes between students and police in the JNU campus. Kolkata: These kind of adventurous anti-national slogans can't be supported: Partho Chatterjee,TMC on ‘Azadi’ slogans at Jadavpur University pic.twitter.com/TPwuEI0q1M — ANI (@ANI_news) April 3, 2017 × On Sunday, the students at Jadavpur University were seen holding placards which read: "Yogi is the new Trump...Brahminical version of white supremacy" and they raised slogans like "Azaadi", "Halla Bol" and "RSS door hatao". The slogans were raised by the students in front of the Academy of Fine Arts where an international seminar on the persecution of minority Hindu Buddhist Christians in Bangladesh was going on yesterday. BJP hit out against the sloganeering with BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao, declaring, "I hold all the political parties that have affiliation to these students groups for not guiding them properly. And these Left leaning parties are actually left with a rump in the Parliament; the people have rejected them all over the country." "And if they continue with their attempts in poisoning the minds of the youth, these Left leaning parties will completely disappear. This is clearly an act, which is not in the national interest," the BJP leader added. Bengal's BJP MP Roopa Ganguly said, "The protest against the RSS is nothing but a mere publicity stunt." A Jadavpur University student shouts 'Azaadi' for Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland and Mizoram. (ANI) × (WION with ANI inputs)

WATCH: Kolkata's Jadavpur University students shout 'Azaadi' slogans, BJP blames Left

<p>Gurmehar Kaur pulled out of the protest march Tuesday by Delhi University and JNU students.</p>

<p>The students were marching at Delhi university to protest against &quot;goondaism&quot; by the ABVP. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Gurmehar had been supposed to attend but finally pulled out, tweeting that &quot;this is all my 20 year self could take :)&quot;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I have been through a lot and this is all my 20 year self could take :)</p>
&mdash; Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/mehartweets/status/836393973446893569">February 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">To anyone questioning my courage and bravery.. I&#39;ve shown more than enough</p>
&mdash; Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/mehartweets/status/836394882331627521">February 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>She however encouraged people to attend the march, saying the campaign &quot;is about students and not about me&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She also asked to be left alone.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It&#39;s a request, please leave me alone. Stop spamming my wall and phone. Any question abt my decision tweet to <a href="https://twitter.com/Voice_Of_Ram">@Voice_Of_Ram</a></p>
&mdash; Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/mehartweets/status/836449772290605056">February 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>There was tremendous amounts of support for her.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hounding of &amp; threats to <a href="https://twitter.com/mehartweets">@mehartweets</a> by Sanghi trolls tells how effective she is. Like her father, she is a brave person. More power to her</p>
&mdash; Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) <a href="https://twitter.com/SitaramYechury/status/835893350674927617">February 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/mehartweets">@mehartweets</a> dont see it as a withdrawal. you have shown courage,m spunk and dignity and made your point. More than.</p>
&mdash; barkha dutt (@BDUTT) <a href="https://twitter.com/BDUTT/status/836424469883187200">February 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Also on Tuesday, Delhi Police filed an FIR&nbsp;on Gurmehar&#39;s complaint that alleged ABVP members had made rape threats against&nbsp;her.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Gurmehar&#39;s grandfather Kanwaljeet Singh lashed out at politicians Tuesday.</p>

<p>&quot;Drama is being created which shouldn`t be highlighted. Politicians must refrain from giving statements,&quot; ANI reported him as saying. &nbsp;</p>

<p>This was after minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju alleged &quot;leftists&quot; were misleading Gurmehar. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;She (Gurmehar Kaur) is a young girl, creating controversy over her isn`t right. It is about leftists who celebrate when our jawans die. They mislead the youth and it is not right,&quot; Rijiju had told reporters.</p>

<p>ANI reported Rijiju as having said Gurmehar is the daughter of a Kargil martyr whose soul must be weeping seeing his daughter being misguided by those who celebrate on the bodies of martyrs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He had earlier wonder who was &quot;polluting&quot;&nbsp;her mind.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The lyricist Javed Akhtar was quick to pounce on that, tweeting: &quot;I don&#39;t about her but Mr Minister I know who is polluting your mind.&quot;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from ANI)</p>


'I have been through a lot and this is all my 20 year self could take', she tweets

Gurmehar Kaur pulled out of the protest march Tuesday by Delhi University and JNU students. The students were marching at Delhi university to protest against "goondaism" by the ABVP. Gurmehar had been supposed to attend but finally pulled out, tweeting that "this is all my 20 year self could take :)" I have been through a lot and this is all my 20 year self could take :) — Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017 × To anyone questioning my courage and bravery.. I've shown more than enough — Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017 × She however encouraged people to attend the march, saying the campaign "is about students and not about me". She also asked to be left alone. It's a request, please leave me alone. Stop spamming my wall and phone. Any question abt my decision tweet to @Voice_Of_Ram — Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017 × There was tremendous amounts of support for her. Hounding of & threats to @mehartweets by Sanghi trolls tells how effective she is. Like her father, she is a brave person. More power to her — Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) February 26, 2017 × @mehartweets dont see it as a withdrawal. you have shown courage,m spunk and dignity and made your point. More than. — barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 28, 2017 × Also on Tuesday, Delhi Police filed an FIR on Gurmehar's complaint that alleged ABVP members had made rape threats against her. Meanwhile, Gurmehar's grandfather Kanwaljeet Singh lashed out at politicians Tuesday. "Drama is being created which shouldn`t be highlighted. Politicians must refrain from giving statements," ANI reported him as saying. This was after minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju alleged "leftists" were misleading Gurmehar. "She (Gurmehar Kaur) is a young girl, creating controversy over her isn`t right. It is about leftists who celebrate when our jawans die. They mislead the youth and it is not right," Rijiju had told reporters. ANI reported Rijiju as having said Gurmehar is the daughter of a Kargil martyr whose soul must be weeping seeing his daughter being misguided by those who celebrate on the bodies of martyrs. He had earlier wonder who was "polluting" her mind. The lyricist Javed Akhtar was quick to pounce on that, tweeting: "I don't about her but Mr Minister I know who is polluting your mind." (WION with inputs from ANI)

Gurmehar pulls out of protest march against ABVP

<p>Delhi University&rsquo;s Ramjas College on Tuesday called off a seminar&nbsp;after members from the students&rsquo; union protested the participation of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid. Khalid was booked for sedition last year for allegedly raising anti-India slogans during an Afzal Guru event at the JNU campus.</p>

<p>The students had&nbsp;failed to inform Delhi Police and the police only arrived at the venue after being alerted by college authorities, according to media reports.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was expected to speak in the afternoon on &ldquo;The War in Adivasi Areas&rdquo; at an event organised by the Literary Society of Ramjas College.</p>

<p>However, members of the Delhi University Students&rsquo; Union (DUSU) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) --&nbsp;a student organisation affiliated to the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) --&nbsp;reached the campus and began protesting before he could even arrive at the venue.</p>

<p>&quot;Ramjas college cannot see the likes of Umar Khalid talking here. He talks of dividing the country. We were going to hold a silent priest against this and alerted the college principal about it,&quot; college president and ABVP member Yogit Rathi told the media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ramjas College authorities said they were forced to cancel the event. College principal Rajendra Prasad told the media that the two JNU students&rsquo; lectures were cancelled because of protests as well as advice from police that the situation could go out of hand.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="256" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fumar.khalid.984%2Fposts%2F10154229599210796&amp;width=500" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="500"></iframe></p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Members of the students' union and ABVP reached the campus and began protesting before he could even arrive at the venue

Delhi University’s Ramjas College on Tuesday called off a seminar after members from the students’ union protested the participation of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid. Khalid was booked for sedition last year for allegedly raising anti-India slogans during an Afzal Guru event at the JNU campus. The students had failed to inform Delhi Police and the police only arrived at the venue after being alerted by college authorities, according to media reports. He was expected to speak in the afternoon on “The War in Adivasi Areas” at an event organised by the Literary Society of Ramjas College. However, members of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) -- a student organisation affiliated to the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) -- reached the campus and began protesting before he could even arrive at the venue. "Ramjas college cannot see the likes of Umar Khalid talking here. He talks of dividing the country. We were going to hold a silent priest against this and alerted the college principal about it," college president and ABVP member Yogit Rathi told the media. Ramjas College authorities said they were forced to cancel the event. College principal Rajendra Prasad told the media that the two JNU students’ lectures were cancelled because of protests as well as advice from police that the situation could go out of hand. (WION)

India: Delhi's Ramjas College cancels invite to JNU student Umar Khalid after protests turn violent

<p>Jodhpur based varsity, Jai Narain Vyas University filed a complaint on Friday against Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Nivedita Menon over alleged remarks about Kashmir and the Indian Army during a seminar held at the campus on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The case was registered against Menon for allegedly making &quot;anti-national&quot; remarks, which led to protests by ABVP activists.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The university was closed down on Friday and an internal probe into the matter has been ordered.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Vice chancellor R P Singh said, &quot;We have filed a complaint with police against Menon and the organising secretary of the seminar, Assistant Professor Raj Shree Ranawat. We have also set up an inquiry team which will look into the entire episode.&quot;</p>

<p>A professor at the School of International Studies, Menon was invited to give a lecture on the topic&nbsp;&lsquo;History reinterpreted: nation, individual and culture&rsquo; by the Department of English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is not the first time Menon has been pulled up by university authorities. On December 28, 2016, she was given a warning notice by JNU for allegedly violating rules over addressing students near the administrative building.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from agencies)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Jai Narain Vyas University filed the complaint against Nivedita Menon over alleged remarks about Kashmir and the Indian Army during a seminar

Jodhpur based varsity, Jai Narain Vyas University filed a complaint on Friday against Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Nivedita Menon over alleged remarks about Kashmir and the Indian Army during a seminar held at the campus on Thursday. The case was registered against Menon for allegedly making "anti-national" remarks, which led to protests by ABVP activists. The university was closed down on Friday and an internal probe into the matter has been ordered. Vice chancellor R P Singh said, "We have filed a complaint with police against Menon and the organising secretary of the seminar, Assistant Professor Raj Shree Ranawat. We have also set up an inquiry team which will look into the entire episode." A professor at the School of International Studies, Menon was invited to give a lecture on the topic ‘History reinterpreted: nation, individual and culture’ by the Department of English. This is not the first time Menon has been pulled up by university authorities. On December 28, 2016, she was given a warning notice by JNU for allegedly violating rules over addressing students near the administrative building. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India: Jodhpur varsity files complaint against JNU professor over 'anti-national' remarks

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<p>More than six hundred Delhi Police personnel assisted by sniffer dogs scanned the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on Monday to search for clues that could help them trace missing student Najeeb Ahmed, news agency Press Trust of India reported.</p>

<p>Najeeb has been missing for more than two months now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The police began their search around 11 am under the supervision of DCP (Crime Branch) G Ram Gopal Naik, PTI reports.</p>

<p>The sniffer dogs failed to make any headway and stopped after circling around in the hostel where Najeeb stayed.</p>

<p>About 65-70 per cent of the campus was covered today and rest including the residential areas and the interiors of the campus will be scanned tomorrow, a senior police officer was quoted as saying by PTI.</p>

<p>Najeeb&#39;s mother Fatima Nafees who was present at the hostel termed the police search &quot;too late&quot; and &quot;futile&quot;, according to PTI.</p>

<p>&quot;They should have carried out this search immediately after Najeeb went missing. But now, it&#39;s of no use. I appeal to police to bring back my son and I will take him home from here,&quot; she told PTI.</p>

<p>Najeeb went missing on October 15 following an on-campus scuffle allegedly with ABVP members the night before.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The search follows an order by the Delhi High Court last week to scan the entire campus, including hostels, classrooms and rooftops, of the buildings with help of sniffer dogs.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


The sniffer dogs failed to make any headway and stopped after circling around in the hostel where he stayed

More than six hundred Delhi Police personnel assisted by sniffer dogs scanned the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on Monday to search for clues that could help them trace missing student Najeeb Ahmed, news agency Press Trust of India reported. Najeeb has been missing for more than two months now. The police began their search around 11 am under the supervision of DCP (Crime Branch) G Ram Gopal Naik, PTI reports. The sniffer dogs failed to make any headway and stopped after circling around in the hostel where Najeeb stayed. About 65-70 per cent of the campus was covered today and rest including the residential areas and the interiors of the campus will be scanned tomorrow, a senior police officer was quoted as saying by PTI. Najeeb's mother Fatima Nafees who was present at the hostel termed the police search "too late" and "futile", according to PTI. "They should have carried out this search immediately after Najeeb went missing. But now, it's of no use. I appeal to police to bring back my son and I will take him home from here," she told PTI. Najeeb went missing on October 15 following an on-campus scuffle allegedly with ABVP members the night before. The search follows an order by the Delhi High Court last week to scan the entire campus, including hostels, classrooms and rooftops, of the buildings with help of sniffer dogs. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India: 600 cops, sniffer dogs search JNU campus to find clues on missing student Najeeb

<p>Concerned over continued disappearance of a JNU student for nearly two months, Delhi High Court today directed the police to &quot;scan&quot; the entire campus, including hostels, classrooms and rooftops, of the varsity by using sniffer dogs.<br />
<br />
A bench of justices G S Sistani and Vinod Goel also asked Delhi Police to take all necessary steps without further loss of time to trace out the student - Najeeb Ahmed, saying there has been delay in recording statements of some students suspected of thrashing him a day before his disappearance.<br />
<br />
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and its student union, JNUSU, were asked by the bench to file affidavits in two days stating they have no objection to the &quot;thorough search&quot; and that all assistance would be provided to the police.<br />
<br />
The court also said the police was free to search Jamia Millia University also, if required. In case of any resistance or objection to it from the varsity or its students, the agency could approach the court for permission.<br />
<br />
The bench said it was not concerned about which students union did what and it was not on a fact-finding mission regarding what JNU did wrong or right. &quot;We are only concerned with where he has vanished,&quot; it said.<br />
<br />
The directions came on the habeus corpus plea by Najeeb&#39;s mother, Fatima Nafees, who has moved court to trace out her son who has been missing since the intervening night of October 14-15. The matter was listed for further hearing on December 22.<br />
<br />
The lawyer for Najeeb&#39;s mother contended that the police was &quot;bypassing&quot; the abduction angle and it appeared that the agency was moving on the theory that something was mentally wrong with the student as he just walked out of the campus.<br />
<br />
Delhi Police, represented by senior standing counsel for Delhi government Rahul Mehra, refuted the allegations and told the court that it was exploring all angles, including abduction, and was not hiding any details of the probe from the student&#39;s mother.<br />
<br />
Mehra also said four students, who are suspected of beating up Najeeb, would be put to lie-detector tests to get leads or clues about his disappearance and whereabouts. The police are expected to get results in the next 10 days, he said.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The student has been missing for the last two months

Concerned over continued disappearance of a JNU student for nearly two months, Delhi High Court today directed the police to "scan" the entire campus, including hostels, classrooms and rooftops, of the varsity by using sniffer dogs. A bench of justices G S Sistani and Vinod Goel also asked Delhi Police to take all necessary steps without further loss of time to trace out the student - Najeeb Ahmed, saying there has been delay in recording statements of some students suspected of thrashing him a day before his disappearance. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and its student union, JNUSU, were asked by the bench to file affidavits in two days stating they have no objection to the "thorough search" and that all assistance would be provided to the police. The court also said the police was free to search Jamia Millia University also, if required. In case of any resistance or objection to it from the varsity or its students, the agency could approach the court for permission. The bench said it was not concerned about which students union did what and it was not on a fact-finding mission regarding what JNU did wrong or right. "We are only concerned with where he has vanished," it said. The directions came on the habeus corpus plea by Najeeb's mother, Fatima Nafees, who has moved court to trace out her son who has been missing since the intervening night of October 14-15. The matter was listed for further hearing on December 22. The lawyer for Najeeb's mother contended that the police was "bypassing" the abduction angle and it appeared that the agency was moving on the theory that something was mentally wrong with the student as he just walked out of the campus. Delhi Police, represented by senior standing counsel for Delhi government Rahul Mehra, refuted the allegations and told the court that it was exploring all angles, including abduction, and was not hiding any details of the probe from the student's mother. Mehra also said four students, who are suspected of beating up Najeeb, would be put to lie-detector tests to get leads or clues about his disappearance and whereabouts. The police are expected to get results in the next 10 days, he said. (PTI)

HC orders JNU search by sniffer dogs to find missing student

<p>It&#39;s been 52 days since a student of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Delhi disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Najeeb Ahmed had reportedly had a brawl with several students of Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarti Parishad (ABVP), an all India student organisation affiliated to the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),&nbsp;before he disappeared.</p>

<p>His family and friends have alleged that Najeeb has been kidnapped but the Delhi police so far had no luck in tracking the 27-year-old.</p>

<p>WION spoke to Najeeb&#39;s mother, Fatima Nafees, who resides in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about the disappearance of her son from one of the most prestigious universities in India. Here are the excerpts:</p>

<p><strong>What happened on the night before Najeeb went missing?</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>Najeeb called me up at 2 am and told me that he was beaten up by boys from his hostel and that he was in Safdarjung hospital. When I asked him about the details of the incident, he dropped the call. I subsequently called up his roommate and asked him about the incident. He too didn&rsquo;t give me much details. I told them I would be there at the hospital next morning. I immediately left my village in Uttar Pradesh and was in contact with Najeeb throughout. The last I spoke to him was at 11 am next day.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>What happened at the hospital?</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>The hospital authorities told the boys that they will get a police report filed before beginning treatment. His friends told me that Najeeb did not want to file an FIR (first information report) against anyone as he did not want to get involved in a legal process. They also said that his assaulters had in fact filed a police case against him for starting the brawl.</p>

<p>The ABVP boys have, on the other hand, alleged that Najeeb had beaten up a member of their group when he went to Najeeb&rsquo;s room campaigning for the elections in the hostel. They also alleged that Najeeb had done so because one of the&nbsp;boys was wearing a red thread on his hand (associated with the Hindu religion).</p>

<p>This is what they have been saying, but why is the police not able to find&nbsp;Najeeb and hear his version of the entire episode? Let us assume that Najeeb had done it. So does it mean that they will kidnap him and keep him away from us for 52 days? Then, what is the law of the land for?</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Do you think Najeeb would hit someone for this reason?</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>Not at all. He used to celebrate all festivals apart from the Islamic ones with his friends. Ask his friends from school and college. All of his friends are not Muslims.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>What did Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav have to say?</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>He assured us all help. But the case is under the Delhi jurisdiction. He said a special task force had been formed to locate Najeeb.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Is the Delhi police cooperating with you?</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>When I went to file an FIR on day one, they insisted on us filing a missing report and not that of kidnapping. An officer said, &quot;If you want to get back your child, do as we say.&quot; I agreed and filed a missing report. Although I wanted to mention that when I reached his hostel, I found his slippers on the stairs, clearly indicating that he was dragged away from his room.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>What about the boys who assaulted Najeeb?</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>I remember the names of three boys - Vikrant, Ankit and Sunil. I don&#39;t understand why the police is shielding them. They are the ones who threatened to kill Najeeb&nbsp;and made comments like &quot;we will send him to heaven by tomorrow morning&quot;.</p>

<p>The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi had said that Najeeb was seen in Bihar.<br />
If they had seen Najeeb in Bihar, why did they not bring him back? I have met everyone by now and even written to the Prime Minister of the country about it, but there has been no response so far. I have lost hope in everyone, except God. I am sure that Najeeb is alive and safe. I am just waiting for him to come back. I don&#39;t want anyone to be punished. I will forgive all of them.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>How has the student community in JNU responded?</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>It&#39;s only because of them that I have been able to continue the search for this long. Otherwise, I would have been shattered by now. Najeeb&rsquo;s father, a carpenter by profession, is out of work too as he is a heart patient.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>There were also reports in media that Najeeb was suffering from depression and was on sedatives.</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>All this is rubbish. They just want to divert the case. They have nothing to say, so now they are coming up with these theories. The fact that he got admission in four different universities and he choose JNU over them proves that he was mentally very sound and stable.</p>

<p>Najeeb was a very quiet person. He did like to talk much or mingle with a lot of people. He would seldom laugh and not speak much.</p>

<p>When he comes back now, I will not let him study neither would I send any of my kids to study outside. I just want him back.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Why do think Najeeb was targeted?</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>The fact that the red thread angle is being brought to the fore repeatedly by his assaulters proves that he was beaten because he was a Muslim. Had it been Naresh instead of Najeeb and the assaulter was a Muslim, the entire family of the assaulter would have been languishing behind bars by now.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Are you talking about an&nbsp;</strong><strong>identity-based crime here?</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>I am not saying this. The entire country knows it. It will have a very negative impact on the minds of young Muslim students planning to move to Delhi for education. This is a threat to our very democracy.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>How has the JNU administration responded?</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>I have been chasing them. The vice chancellor is not even ready to talk to me. They say that we are not responsible for everything that happens on the campus. I can&rsquo;t understand how they could be so insensitive.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>What did Najeeb </strong><strong>want</strong><strong> to do after graduating from JNU?</strong></p>

<blockquote>
<p>Najeeb wanted to prepare for civil services after completing his course here.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(WION)</p>


WION spoke to Najeeb Ahmed's mother, 52 days after he went missing from the university in the Indian capital, New Delhi

It's been 52 days since a student of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Delhi disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Najeeb Ahmed had reportedly had a brawl with several students of Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarti Parishad (ABVP), an all India student organisation affiliated to the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), before he disappeared. His family and friends have alleged that Najeeb has been kidnapped but the Delhi police so far had no luck in tracking the 27-year-old. WION spoke to Najeeb's mother, Fatima Nafees, who resides in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about the disappearance of her son from one of the most prestigious universities in India. Here are the excerpts: What happened on the night before Najeeb went missing? Najeeb called me up at 2 am and told me that he was beaten up by boys from his hostel and that he was in Safdarjung hospital. When I asked him about the details of the incident, he dropped the call. I subsequently called up his roommate and asked him about the incident. He too didn’t give me much details. I told them I would be there at the hospital next morning. I immediately left my village in Uttar Pradesh and was in contact with Najeeb throughout. The last I spoke to him was at 11 am next day. What happened at the hospital? The hospital authorities told the boys that they will get a police report filed before beginning treatment. His friends told me that Najeeb did not want to file an FIR (first information report) against anyone as he did not want to get involved in a legal process. They also said that his assaulters had in fact filed a police case against him for starting the brawl. The ABVP boys have, on the other hand, alleged that Najeeb had beaten up a member of their group when he went to Najeeb’s room campaigning for the elections in the hostel. They also alleged that Najeeb had done so because one of the boys was wearing a red thread on his hand (associated with the Hindu religion). This is what they have been saying, but why is the police not able to find Najeeb and hear his version of the entire episode? Let us assume that Najeeb had done it. So does it mean that they will kidnap him and keep him away from us for 52 days? Then, what is the law of the land for? Do you think Najeeb would hit someone for this reason? Not at all. He used to celebrate all festivals apart from the Islamic ones with his friends. Ask his friends from school and college. All of his friends are not Muslims. What did Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav have to say? He assured us all help. But the case is under the Delhi jurisdiction. He said a special task force had been formed to locate Najeeb. Is the Delhi police cooperating with you? When I went to file an FIR on day one, they insisted on us filing a missing report and not that of kidnapping. An officer said, "If you want to get back your child, do as we say." I agreed and filed a missing report. Although I wanted to mention that when I reached his hostel, I found his slippers on the stairs, clearly indicating that he was dragged away from his room. What about the boys who assaulted Najeeb? I remember the names of three boys - Vikrant, Ankit and Sunil. I don't understand why the police is shielding them. They are the ones who threatened to kill Najeeb and made comments like "we will send him to heaven by tomorrow morning". The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi had said that Najeeb was seen in Bihar. If they had seen Najeeb in Bihar, why did they not bring him back? I have met everyone by now and even written to the Prime Minister of the country about it, but there has been no response so far. I have lost hope in everyone, except God. I am sure that Najeeb is alive and safe. I am just waiting for him to come back. I don't want anyone to be punished. I will forgive all of them. How has the student community in JNU responded? It's only because of them that I have been able to continue the search for this long. Otherwise, I would have been shattered by now. Najeeb’s father, a carpenter by profession, is out of work too as he is a heart patient. There were also reports in media that Najeeb was suffering from depression and was on sedatives. All this is rubbish. They just want to divert the case. They have nothing to say, so now they are coming up with these theories. The fact that he got admission in four different universities and he choose JNU over them proves that he was mentally very sound and stable. Najeeb was a very quiet person. He did like to talk much or mingle with a lot of people. He would seldom laugh and not speak much. When he comes back now, I will not let him study neither would I send any of my kids to study outside. I just want him back. Why do think Najeeb was targeted? The fact that the red thread angle is being brought to the fore repeatedly by his assaulters proves that he was beaten because he was a Muslim. Had it been Naresh instead of Najeeb and the assaulter was a Muslim, the entire family of the assaulter would have been languishing behind bars by now. Are you talking about an identity-based crime here? I am not saying this. The entire country knows it. It will have a very negative impact on the minds of young Muslim students planning to move to Delhi for education. This is a threat to our very democracy. How has the JNU administration responded? I have been chasing them. The vice chancellor is not even ready to talk to me. They say that we are not responsible for everything that happens on the campus. I can’t understand how they could be so insensitive. What did Najeeb want to do after graduating from JNU? Najeeb wanted to prepare for civil services after completing his course here. (WION)

India: Najeeb's disappearance will negatively impact young Muslim minds, says mother of missing JNU student

<p>Police have launched a probe after a mysterious letter was delivered on November 14 to Jawaharlal Nehru University&#39;s Mahi-Mandvi hostel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Media reports cited sources as saying the letter was written by a woman from Aligarh who claimed to have information about the missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, who has been missing for more than a month now.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>The letter also mentioned an address where the woman could be found but when officers got there, they found no one</h5>
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<p>The letter was addressed to Najeeb. It was received by hostel president Azeem who informed Najeeb&#39;s mother Fatima Nafees about the letter and handed it over to her. Nafees, in turn, gave it to the crime branch.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reports said the woman wrote in the letter that she had seen Najeeb in Aligarh. She added that Najeeb sought her help, saying he had been &quot;locked up somewhere&quot; but had managed to escape.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The reports further said that by the time she was able to inform anybody, Najeeb had left or &quot;was probably taken away by some people&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The letter also apparently mentioned an address where she could be found but, the reports said, when officers of the crime branch reached the address, they found no one there.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The letter did not mention where Najeeb might have been &quot;locked up&quot;. Nor did it say anything about a ransom.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The reports said the courier agency that delivered the letter would be asked to say where it was despatched from and who might have sent it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The letter itself will be sent for forensic analysis.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


The woman who reportedly wrote the letter said she had seen Najeeb Ahmed in a market in Aligarh

Police have launched a probe after a mysterious letter was delivered on November 14 to Jawaharlal Nehru University's Mahi-Mandvi hostel. Media reports cited sources as saying the letter was written by a woman from Aligarh who claimed to have information about the missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, who has been missing for more than a month now. The letter also mentioned an address where the woman could be found but when officers got there, they found no one × The letter was addressed to Najeeb. It was received by hostel president Azeem who informed Najeeb's mother Fatima Nafees about the letter and handed it over to her. Nafees, in turn, gave it to the crime branch. Reports said the woman wrote in the letter that she had seen Najeeb in Aligarh. She added that Najeeb sought her help, saying he had been "locked up somewhere" but had managed to escape. The reports further said that by the time she was able to inform anybody, Najeeb had left or "was probably taken away by some people". The letter also apparently mentioned an address where she could be found but, the reports said, when officers of the crime branch reached the address, they found no one there. The letter did not mention where Najeeb might have been "locked up". Nor did it say anything about a ransom. The reports said the courier agency that delivered the letter would be asked to say where it was despatched from and who might have sent it. The letter itself will be sent for forensic analysis. (WION)

Missing Indian student: Police launch probe after mysterious letter arrives at university

<p>Police on Sunday detained the mother and sister, along with scores of angry students, of missing Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Najeeb Ahmed during a protest march to India Gate in the Indian capital Delhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Najeeb&#39;s mother, Fatima Nafees, was allegedly dragged (see picture) into a bus by Delhi police, PTI reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Najeeb Ahmed, a 27-year-old student of the School of Biotechnology in JNU, went missing on October 15 after an alleged on-campus altercation with members of the Akhil Bharatiya&nbsp;<br />
Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of India&#39;s ruling BJP party.</p>

<p>We were protesting very peacefully but the Delhi Police detained us without any reason,&quot; Najeeb&#39;s sister Sadaf Mosharraf told PTI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Both mother and daughter were later released.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The police denied manhandling the protesters, saying all their actions were&nbsp;&quot;within the frameworks of law&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;No one has been manhandled and no force has been used against anyone. Adequate male and female police was there. Within the parameters of law we handled the entire situation,&quot; southwest Delhi joint commissioner of police Deependra Pathak told PTI.</p>

<p>He added that a few protesters, including Najeeb&#39;s mother, were taken to a police station but that they were later sent home.</p>

<p>Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal condemned the police action, and submitted a memorandum about the &quot;worrisome situation&quot; in the country to President Pranab Mukherjee.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The President reportedly also assured Kejriwal that he would be seeking a report on the disappearance from the interior ministry and the JNU administration.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


Najeeb Ahmed's sister was also detained, then let off. Ahmed (right) has been missing for 23 days now

Police on Sunday detained the mother and sister, along with scores of angry students, of missing Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Najeeb Ahmed during a protest march to India Gate in the Indian capital Delhi. Najeeb's mother, Fatima Nafees, was allegedly dragged (see picture) into a bus by Delhi police, PTI reported. Najeeb Ahmed, a 27-year-old student of the School of Biotechnology in JNU, went missing on October 15 after an alleged on-campus altercation with members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of India's ruling BJP party. We were protesting very peacefully but the Delhi Police detained us without any reason," Najeeb's sister Sadaf Mosharraf told PTI. Both mother and daughter were later released. The police denied manhandling the protesters, saying all their actions were "within the frameworks of law". "No one has been manhandled and no force has been used against anyone. Adequate male and female police was there. Within the parameters of law we handled the entire situation," southwest Delhi joint commissioner of police Deependra Pathak told PTI. He added that a few protesters, including Najeeb's mother, were taken to a police station but that they were later sent home. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal condemned the police action, and submitted a memorandum about the "worrisome situation" in the country to President Pranab Mukherjee. The President reportedly also assured Kejriwal that he would be seeking a report on the disappearance from the interior ministry and the JNU administration. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India: Police manhandle, detain missing JNU student's mother during protest

<p>Delhi police have put together a special investigation team (SIT) to trace missing Jawaharlal Nehru University student Najeeb Ahmed as&nbsp;protests raged on campus against alleged inaction by the authorities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We have formed an SIT under Additional DCP-II(South) Manishi Chandra to probe in the case. We have also informed the SSPs concerned as well as police officers across India and have given out advertisements in newspapers,&quot; said Nupur Prasad, additional deputy commissioner of police (South), PTI reported.</p>

<p>&nbsp;Najeeb Ahmed&nbsp;went missing on Saturday after a &#39;brawl&#39; -- some versions say it was a brawl, others that he was beaten up by right-wing activists&nbsp;--&nbsp;on campus the night before.</p>

<p>&quot;We have also announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for any person who provides information about Najeeb,&quot; Prasad said, PTI reported.</p>

<p>She added that they have also seized some medicines, a laptop and Najeeb&#39;s&nbsp;phone, which he had left in his hostel room.</p>

<p>India&#39;s interior minister Rajnath Singh had instructed the Commissioner of Delhi Police to set up the special team to find Ahmed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Wednesday, agitating students gheraoed&nbsp;the University&rsquo;s vice-chancellor and 12 other officials in the administrative building for more than 24 hours.</p>

<p>Prasad said the JNU administration is also&nbsp;trying to find&nbsp;Ahmed.</p>

<p>Refuting the kidnapping theory that has been doing the rounds since Najeeb went missing, she told PTI, &quot;We haven&#39;t got any CCTV footage but an eyewitness saw him going out of the Parthasarathy Rocks area. The family hasn&#39;t told us about receiving any ransom call for his release.&quot;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


Najeeb Ahmed went missing on Saturday after a 'brawl' on campus the night before

Delhi police have put together a special investigation team (SIT) to trace missing Jawaharlal Nehru University student Najeeb Ahmed as protests raged on campus against alleged inaction by the authorities. "We have formed an SIT under Additional DCP-II(South) Manishi Chandra to probe in the case. We have also informed the SSPs concerned as well as police officers across India and have given out advertisements in newspapers," said Nupur Prasad, additional deputy commissioner of police (South), PTI reported. Najeeb Ahmed went missing on Saturday after a 'brawl' -- some versions say it was a brawl, others that he was beaten up by right-wing activists -- on campus the night before. "We have also announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for any person who provides information about Najeeb," Prasad said, PTI reported. She added that they have also seized some medicines, a laptop and Najeeb's phone, which he had left in his hostel room. India's interior minister Rajnath Singh had instructed the Commissioner of Delhi Police to set up the special team to find Ahmed. On Wednesday, agitating students gheraoed the University’s vice-chancellor and 12 other officials in the administrative building for more than 24 hours. Prasad said the JNU administration is also trying to find Ahmed. Refuting the kidnapping theory that has been doing the rounds since Najeeb went missing, she told PTI, "We haven't got any CCTV footage but an eyewitness saw him going out of the Parthasarathy Rocks area. The family hasn't told us about receiving any ransom call for his release." (WION with inputs from PTI)

Delhi police sets up special team to find missing JNU student

<p>Protests in Delhi&#39;s Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU) turned volatile today morning, six days after a student went missing after an alleged&nbsp;brawl between him and&nbsp;activists of the&nbsp;right-wing student organisation, Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which is&nbsp;backed by India&#39;s ruling Bharatiya&nbsp;Janata Party (BJP).&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Najeeb Ahmed, a Master&#39;s student of biotechnology at New Delhi&#39;s Jawaharlal Nehru University, went missing after&nbsp;being &quot;beaten up&quot; on campus. While his parents await his return, the Delhi Police have announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for anyone who can provide information with regard to the &#39;kidnapping case&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The incident has triggered massive protests in the varsity. JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar tweeted on Wednesday night that he, along with other officials, was &#39;physically confined&#39; &nbsp;in the varsity premises by protesting students.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">An appeal to JNU Students from JNU Administration. <a href="https://t.co/2rra9DFO3h">pic.twitter.com/2rra9DFO3h</a></p>
&mdash; M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) <a href="https://twitter.com/mamidala90/status/788814855994081280">October 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We appealed to JNU students to stop this physical confinement of university officials but with no result.</p>
&mdash; M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) <a href="https://twitter.com/mamidala90/status/788817647844503552">October 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Since the students did not let us go home inspite our appeal, we have no other option but be confined to the admin building.</p>
&mdash; M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) <a href="https://twitter.com/mamidala90/status/788818095716438016">October 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We have been locked inside the building since 2.30 PM. There is a female colleague with us who is unwell as she is diabetic,&quot; Kumar was quoted as saying by Indian daily DNA. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>While he assured that the varsity administration was trying to find the missing student, the vice chancellor, while talking to the Indian news agency ANI, said that the move&nbsp;by protesting students was &#39;unfortunate&#39; &nbsp;and illegal.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We met JNUSU leaders explained to them our sincere efforts in locating the missing. No relenting. It is 2 am. We are still confined.</p>
&mdash; M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) <a href="https://twitter.com/mamidala90/status/788839218197913600">October 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;We are also concerned that Najeeb Ahmed is missing. We have talked to police also but gheraoing me and other officials is wrong. Students have gheraoed us since 2.30 p.m. yesterday. We had to sleep on floor and there is no food to eat. Students are not even allowing wives of officials to meet,&quot; he told the &nbsp;news agency today morning.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The protesting students, however, claimed that the officials were free to walk over them. The JNU students union defended its stand claiming there has been no &quot;illegal detention&quot;</p>

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<p>&quot;We have not illegally confined anybody in JNU administrative building. Electricity and all kind of supplies are here. We have also sent food for people inside,&quot; Mohit Pandey, President, JNU students&#39; union was quoted as saying by DNA.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Meanwhile, ANI reported that no trace of missing Najeeb Ahmed was found even on the sixth day after he went missing.</p>

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<p>Ahmed was allegedly assaulted by ABVP activists on October 14 during a mess election campaign at Mahi-Mandvi hostel. He went missing the following day. It&#39;s also pertinent to mention that hours after the brawl, an emergency meeting held by the warden at 12:30 AM pronounced Ahmed guilty and expelled him from the hostel &ldquo;with immediate effect.&rdquo;</p>

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<p>&nbsp;According to students, he left the hostel without his wallet, mobile and even his footwear, ANI reported.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</p>


The varsity's vice-chancellor assured that the administration was trying to locate Najeeb Ahmed after protesters 'physically confined' him

Protests in Delhi's Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU) turned volatile today morning, six days after a student went missing after an alleged brawl between him and activists of the right-wing student organisation, Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which is backed by India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Najeeb Ahmed, a Master's student of biotechnology at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, went missing after being "beaten up" on campus. While his parents await his return, the Delhi Police have announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for anyone who can provide information with regard to the 'kidnapping case'. The incident has triggered massive protests in the varsity. JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar tweeted on Wednesday night that he, along with other officials, was 'physically confined' in the varsity premises by protesting students. An appeal to JNU Students from JNU Administration. pic.twitter.com/2rra9DFO3h — M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016 × We appealed to JNU students to stop this physical confinement of university officials but with no result. — M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016 × Since the students did not let us go home inspite our appeal, we have no other option but be confined to the admin building. — M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016 × "We have been locked inside the building since 2.30 PM. There is a female colleague with us who is unwell as she is diabetic," Kumar was quoted as saying by Indian daily DNA. While he assured that the varsity administration was trying to find the missing student, the vice chancellor, while talking to the Indian news agency ANI, said that the move by protesting students was 'unfortunate' and illegal. We met JNUSU leaders explained to them our sincere efforts in locating the missing. No relenting. It is 2 am. We are still confined. — M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016 × "We are also concerned that Najeeb Ahmed is missing. We have talked to police also but gheraoing me and other officials is wrong. Students have gheraoed us since 2.30 p.m. yesterday. We had to sleep on floor and there is no food to eat. Students are not even allowing wives of officials to meet," he told the news agency today morning. The protesting students, however, claimed that the officials were free to walk over them. The JNU students union defended its stand claiming there has been no "illegal detention" "We have not illegally confined anybody in JNU administrative building. Electricity and all kind of supplies are here. We have also sent food for people inside," Mohit Pandey, President, JNU students' union was quoted as saying by DNA. Meanwhile, ANI reported that no trace of missing Najeeb Ahmed was found even on the sixth day after he went missing. Ahmed was allegedly assaulted by ABVP activists on October 14 during a mess election campaign at Mahi-Mandvi hostel. He went missing the following day. It's also pertinent to mention that hours after the brawl, an emergency meeting held by the warden at 12:30 AM pronounced Ahmed guilty and expelled him from the hostel “with immediate effect.” According to students, he left the hostel without his wallet, mobile and even his footwear, ANI reported. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India: Protests turn volatile in JNU over missing student

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