Recently, a Chief Proctor Office manual of Jawaharlal Nehru University listed the “rules of discipline and proper conduct of students of Jawaharlal Nehru University”. The document accessed by ANI said, “It was strongly felt to review the existing disciplinary rules and regulations of the office of the Chief Proctor. There are no substantially approved rules and regulations on proper conduct and discipline of students by the statutory body (i.e Executive Council) of JNU in vogue.”
Students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University can face a fine of Rs 20,000 for resorting to violence, holding dharnas, and hunger strikes on the campus and a fine of up to Rs 10,000 for raising anti-national slogans and inciting intolerance towards religion, caste or community.
Addressing the uproar,Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit stated, “There is a chief proctor’s office in every university as per statutes and ordinances, all universities, central universities, JNU has had a chief proctor’s office since 1969. And there have been rules.” The fines imposed on students, according to Pandit, align with the established rules and regulations outlined in the university’s statutes and ordinances.
#WATCH | Delhi: JNU bans protestors on campus, students may face expulsion for flouting restrictions.
Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit says, "There is a chief proctor's office in every university as per statutes and ordinances, all… pic.twitter.com/GQVdawL16A
— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2023
Pandit further clarified that these rules are not new and have been consistently applied over the past two years. Students have historically been fined for various forms of misbehaviour or indiscipline, adhering to the defined rules outlined in the university’s ordinances.
Expressing confusion over the sudden controversy, Pandit commented, “I don’t understand why suddenly this has come up.” She highlighted that the decision to impose fines was approved by the executive council on November 24, with the same document circulated to all members three weeks prior. The document in question, according to Pandit, is a public one, and its contents have been known to the university community for more than a month and a half.
Pandit concluded, “This is no new rule that we have brought. It is the same old rule that was in place two years back, and the same fine was being paid from the last two years. So, it’s more than one and a half months since. This is a public document. The only thing is, it has been legal.” The Vice Chancellor’s comments aim to provide clarity on the university’s position and underscore the longstanding nature of the disciplinary measures in question.
