Concern in RS over JNU situation

Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha today expressed concern over protests and a recent suicide by a student in Jawaharlal Nehru University, as the government said many of the agitations there had nothing to do with issues concerning the varsity.

Replying to a query during the Question Hour, HRD minister Prakash Javadekar tabled details of strikes and protests in JNU on issues pertaining to the varsity and the others which had nothing to do with it.

"Among the JNU protests, there are some on issues like harassment allegations in West Bengal, demolition of Babri Masjid, judgment in 'Nirbhaya' case, opposing US President Obama's India visit," said Javadekar reading out from a list he tabled in the Upper House.
 

"I was also in student politics. But this too is a reality, you will see," the HRD minister told members.

In his reply, Javadekar said among the major incidents of unrest, one was the programme on February 9, 2016 when "objectionable slogans" were raised. These included - 'Kashmir ki azadi tak jang rahegi', 'Hum kya mange azadi, bandook se lenge azadi, chheen ke lenge azadi,' 'Ek Afzal maroge, har ghar se Afzal nikalega' and 'Pakistan Zindabad', he said.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, a JNU alumnus, objected to the slogans that the minister had mentioned in his reply saying it had been said in the court that the videos of the incident had been "doctored".

He said there was nothing wrong if during Obama's visit issues related to American imperialism were raised.

Javadekar said he had only provided a list in response to a question. In the list provided by the minister, there were 51 protests relating to varsity-related issues, while 44 had nothing to do with it.

Asked whether the government was considering curtailing the powers of the JNU VC, Javadekar said the government favoured increasing autonomy of educational bodies.

During the discussion, Yechury said a UGC notification had drastically reduced the intake of research students, adding that JNU gave admissions to many backward students.

To this, Javadekar said the UGC had laid a limit that a professor can guide 8, associate professor 6 and assistant professor 4. But in JNU, a professor guided 44 students while another guided 28, he said and asked "is PhD a classroom?"

He said 104 teachers were guiding more than 10 students. There were 29 teachers guiding 20 to 30 students. There were four guiding more than 30 and one above 40 students, Javadekar said. "A Ph.D is not done like that," he added.

Javadekar also said the cap had been put during the UPA rule which the CPI(M) had supported. He said even the court had held that the UGC guidelines would be applicable to all universities including the JNU.

Tiruchi Siva (DMK) said there was delay on part of JNU authorities in informing the family after a student, Muthu Krishnan, committed suicide.

Congress member Rajeev Gowda said the strict rules pertaining to number of students that can be guided in research should be relaxed for JNU.

He also said that "doctored" videos had led to Kanhaiya Kumar's arrest and wanted to know about the progress in holding lie-detector test on ABVP students who had a scuffle with a student Najib, who is missing.

Javadekar merely said these matters were in the court.

Observing that JNU was a "very best University" but it has been made famous for something else, he said, adding it had great achievements like inventing an anti-malaria vaccine, the DNA replication for better diagnosis of diseases patented in USA, cheap diagnostic tool for TB and vaccine for Anthrax.

These works have been adjudged the best but all this never get publicity, he said.

Yechury was also heard saying that JNU had provided the highest number of IAS and IPS officers to the country.

Javadekar said he was surprised that Gowda felt that a professor can guide 40 students. "I don't agree."

He said that after Hyderabad University student Rohith Vemula's death, the HRD ministry had recommended steps like induction course, remedial course, counselling etc to ensure incidents like suicides do not happen.

In the list of protests in JNU provided by Javadekar, those relating to JNU were against the UGC guidelines, against the administration and the Vice Chancellor, seat cuts, on the case of missing student Najeeb, visit of Smriti Irani, a remark by BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy and cleaning of garbage. There were others relating to the case of Kanhaiya Kumar, Umer Khalid, Anirvan etc.

The protests not pertaining to JNU included those against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kiran Bedi, Rajnath Singh's statement on death sentence to Yakub Memon, appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as FTII director, murder of Akhlaq in Dadri, Modi government and RSS policy in J&K and murder of a dalit in Faridabad.

Other such protests listed included those against Manu Smriti, government's policy on education, Irom Sharmila case, Rohith Vemula issue, demand for reservations and against TMC government in West Bengal.