Jawaharlal Nehru University authorities on Sunday accused students demonstrating against the compulsory attendance rule of violating a Delhi High Court order banning protests near the administrative block.
The university management had issued a circular in December 2017, saying it was planning to make 75% attendance for all courses compulsory and was forming a panel to frame the guidelines. Students and teachers had then called it an “unnecessary and arbitrary” move.
JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar said in a circular on Sunday that some students have continued a month-long protest against the attendance rule despite discussions between the administration and JNU Students Union representatives.
Kumar claimed that protesting students have been preventing their colleagues from attending classes by calling for strikes, blocking the entrance to the school buildings, staging marches, holding meetings during class hours and blocking the main road to the university. The registrar said this had caused “enormous hardship for the elderly, sick, school children and the visitors to the campus”.
He added that some students had damaged property near the administrative block on Sunday, which was a clear violation of the Delhi High Court order barring demonstrations near the place. Kumar also warned of administrative action if the students continued to block the road.
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