The high court has ordered the university to allow students to register for the next semester and to complete the formalities within the next week.
NEW DELHI| On Friday, the Delhi high court said JNU students, who have not registered for the next semester may do so under the old hostel manual, as it seeks the JNU student union plea challenging the new manual.
A petition filed by a group of JNU students’ union leaders including president Aishe Ghosh that challenged the fee hike and the new hostel manual notified last year that prompted protests in the university campus and outside was heard by Justice Rajiv Shakdher.
The Additional Solicitor General, Pinky Anand, asked the court to right away reject the plea, pointing that 90 per cent of the students had gone along with the fee hike and paid up.
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The judge countered saying “If you don’t have a choice, what would you do?”
Justice Shakdher also countered the argument put forth by the Centre’s senior law officer that justified the fee hike, pointing that fees had been revised to pay salaries to contractual workers hired by the university.
“Government cannot get out of education. Government has to fund public education. The burden of paying the salaries of contractual workers is not on the students. Someone should find the funds, “ Justice Shakdher shot back.
The petition claimed Draft Hostel Manual “illegally approved by the IHA as the decisions taken by the IHA are malafide, arbitrary and illegal and adversely affect the students”.
In the petition which was filed through lawyer Abhik Chimni, the students said the changes had led to an increase in hostel fees, affected the rights of reserved categories and allocation of hostel rooms, and reduced the representation of the students’ union in the IHA among other issues.
The plea also sought directions to restrain varsity from taking any actions which would give effect to the draft manual.
Next hearing is set on February 28 by the High Court Judge.
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