Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar on Friday said that hostel messes and the health centre in the varsity are functioning as per available resources and the entire campus is closed down as no outsiders are allowed to enter inside.
"The JNU community is dismayed by the misinformation campaign launched against the university by some political groups and self-interested politically motivated individuals saying that the hostel mess facilities have been withdrawn and the health centre has been closed leaving the JNU students stranded," Kumar said in a statement.
"This is to underscore that the above highly condemnable falsehood being spread in the midst of a global/national crisis can only negatively affect the national resolve to combat the coronavirus pandemic in the country. The JNU administration makes it amply clear that both the hostel messes and the health centre are functioning and working reasonably well as per the available resources," he added.
He noted that the JNU security is alert round the clock to prevent any violation of key advisories issued by the government and the university from time to time to deal with COVID-19.
"In early March, the university strongly advised students to go home where they can get the best of protection and care. About 90 per cent of the students paid attention to the advisory and left for home by March 21. The international students and those who were unable to leave due to the lockdown enforcement and other difficulties continue to be residents in the hostel and have been using the mess and health facilities. We now have only 687 students in 18 hostels and all are functional," Kumar said.
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"However, in view of the lesser number of students, mess facilities are being provided in five hostels in key locations of the campus and arrangements have been made for safe and easy availability of essential items, such as grocery and medicines, within the campus. The JNU administration, echoing the anguish of the entire JNU community, appeals to all concerned not to play politics over a crisis that urgently requires understanding and cooperation," he stated further.
While speaking to ANI, Kumar said, "We have 18 hostels. In normal times, over 6,000 students stay in these hostels. But now, we have about 687 students. We informed our students well in advance, in the March first week itself, that it is better to leave the hostels and go home and follow all the COVID-19 guidelines. So, the remaining students, about 11 per cent of them, have stayed back in spite of our regular advice to them to go home."
He added, "For whatever reason they (students) have stayed back, the university is taking care of their needs in the hostels. We are running all the 18 hostels. However, the mess facilities are maintained in five hostels. The students' needs are taken care of 24x7. We also have our medical centre which is working and we have two ambulances. We are taking care of our students."
Kumar said that the university is following the government guidelines on COVID-19 in letter and spirit.
"The entire campus community is following the COVID-19 guidelines in letter and spirit... The residents are staying in hostels. They are also observing very strictly the social distancing so that there is no chance of the spread of coronavirus," he further said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease.
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