JNU Bans Protests On Campus May Expel Students Who Flout Rules

(MENAFN- Live Mint) "Staging dharnas and putting up wall posters within 100 metres of the academic buildings at the Jawaharlal Nehru University may now lead to a fine of up to ₹20,000 or expulsion, reported news agency PTI quoting JNU's new manual, adding any 'anti-national' act will attract a ₹10,000 fine new order in the manual applies to academic buildings of different schools that house offices of chairpersons, deans, and other important office-bearers, apart from classrooms and labs, as per a High Court order, protests within 100 meters of the administrative blocks, which house the offices of the Vice-Chancellor, registrar, and proctors, among others, were prohibited to the revised Chief Proctor Office (CPO) manual, the university has now barred protests within 100 metres of academic buildings as well as where classes are conducted READ: 'PM Modi, Amit Shah ensured bloodless political solution, Kashmir is not Gaza': Shehla RashidThe new manual says that any act to incite intolerance towards religion, caste, or community or an activity that is deemed 'anti-national' will invite a fine of ₹10,000 development comes after the varsity witnessed an incident in October where an 'anti-national' slogan was scribbled on the School of Languages building wall and the administration announced to set up a committee to look into the repeated nature of such incidents on the campus, the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) has opposed the new rules and said it is an attempt to stifle dissent on campus and demanded its withdrawal.\"The stringent measures outlined in the manual are aimed at stifling the vibrant campus culture that has defined JNU for decades. The JNUSU demands that the university administration immediately revoke the new manual of the office of the Chief Proctor Manual,\" the students' union said Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit or the competent authority will have the power to deem an act punishable if they find it in violation of the discipline and conduct in the university, as per new rules, approved by the Executive Council in a meeting on November 24 from this, they will have the power to waive, change, or uphold the punishment if deemed fit university has prohibited printing, circulating, or pasting posters or pamphlets carrying any kind of derogatory religious, communal, casteist, or anti-national remarks regulationsAs per the CPO manual, if a student is found involved in a hunger strike, dharna, 'group bargaining' and any other form of protest within a 100-metre radius of any academic and administrative complex or is found blocking the entrance or exit of any of these complexes, he or she will be either imposed a fine of ₹20,000, evicted from the hostel for two months or be rusticated and declared out of bounds for up to two months added that all forms of coercion such as gheraos, sit-ins, or any variation of the same which disrupt the normal academic and administrative functioning of the university or any act inciting violence will be punished as well, a student who has received five or more punishments during the duration of their study shall be expelled from the university. In case a student is found guilty of being involved in any of the prohibited activities and is given a punishment, he or she will not be allowed to register for the semester and will not be given a 'no-dues' certificate until the imposed fine is cleared a student fails to appear before the proctorial inquiry, the committee will assume that the complaint was filed with a malafide intention and the student may be asked to perform community service in JNU false allegation against any student by the complainant can also lead to rustication from the university, the university now will not allow cross-examination between the defendant and the complainant or the witness, which used to be an important rule of the proctorial inquiry earlier agency inputs.

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