JNU Students Took to the Streets Demanding Rollback of the Recent Hostel Fee Hike

Lifeline of Delhi, Delhi Metro has to close its entry and exit at four prominent stations namely the Udyog Bhawan, Patel Chowk, Lok Kalyan and Central Secretariat stations after hundreds of students from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) took to the streets demanding a full rollback of the recent hostel fee hike. 

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in a tweet from its official account said the decision to shut the key Yellow Line stations was taken after discussions with the Delhi police.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in the post wrote, “As advised by Delhi Police, trains are not halting at Udyog Bhawan and Patel Chowk. Exit/Entry Gates for Udyog Bhawan, Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat have been closed temporarily... trains are (also) not halting at Lok Kalyan Marg and entry/exit gates of the station have also been closed temporarily”.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police have detained more than 50 JNU Students as they along with hundreds of others marched towards the Parliament, chanting anti-fee hike slogans and carrying posters and placards. The student body of the University has said the march was a “way to appeal to lawmakers to fight on our behalf inside the floor of the house”.

On seeing the growing numbers in the protest, the authorities have imposed prohibitory orders both outside the parliament building and around the JNU campus, setting up barricades near the Safdarjung Tomb in South Delhi to stop the protesting students from advancing any further. Cops and students clashed as the student groups tried to climb the barricades

News agency IANS quoted a student as saying, “The students are struggling hard to clear the barricades installed by the Delhi police, but they admit that they might not reach parliament because of heavy police and CRPF deployment in the way”.

The students of the University have been protesting the fee hike that was revealed recently in a released draft hostel manual. Last week, during the university’s convocation day, hundreds of students clashed with cops.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry has formed a three-member panel to recommend certain measures to restore normalcy in the university campus. Human Resource Development Secretary R Subrahmanyam has informed, “With a view to restore the normal functioning of JNU through dialogue with all stakeholders and to advise the university administration for resolution of contentious issues, the government has appointed a three-member high power committee.”

The protests by the students are primarily over the hike of fees for the hostel rooms. The university has recently raised the rent for a double room from Rs. 10 per month to Rs. 300 per month, for a single room from Rs. 20 per month to Rs. 600 per month and has increased a one-time mess security deposit from Rs. 5,500 to Rs. 12,000, which is refundable.

Last week, after the protests the fees were partially rolled back. Room rents have now been cut to half for students belonging to the below poverty line (BPL) category. But the students have dismissed the rollback, calling it as only an ‘eyewash’.