JNU VC outlines medical support to protesters, committee meetings on hunger strike

Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday October 19, said a committee, named ‘The Competent Authority’ appointed by university administration had held two rounds of discussions with students on hunger strike. The committee will meet the students again as per the statement. She also added, “medical care is even being given to the rusticated students on humanitarian grounds”.

According to the statement, the committee appointed by the university administration met the hunger strikers on October 9 and October 14. The first meeting lasted more than four hours, while the second began at 5 pm and continued for several hours before it was decided that the students will meet the committee again later on.

Pandit said the two groups participating in the hunger strike had ended their protest after receiving assurances from the committee following the October 9 meeting. However, she added that the groups “refused to meet together” and discussions were held separately.

Also read | University of Manchester plans new India centre for research and innovation
 

Medical support to protesters

The vice-chancellor said the university’s chief medical officer had been meeting the striking students daily to check on their health. The statement said the officer was checking their “vital and health condition” and medical care was being provided on humanitarian grounds to rusticated students.

The students were “checked twice a day from day one as per medical protocol,” it said. The administration also explained its approach as “the most democratic and humanitarian” while arguing that it had not taken extreme action against the rusticated students.

It also said the students had damaged public property worth Rs 20 lakh and violated the campus restrictions and their bail conditions. The expenditure on University facilities was funded by the government referring it as “Indian taxpayers money”.

The statement from the VC comes amidst an ongoing row between the university administration and the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) over rustication of student union office-bearers. Earlier, JNUSU alleged that the vice-chancellor had acknowledged the hunger strike but refused to talk to rusticated students when she visited the protest site. The union also accused the administration of stalling negotiations and said the agitation would continue till its demands were met.

Also read | University of Liverpool’s Bengaluru campus welcomes nearly 300 students for UK-accredited courses