Jawaharlal Nehru University has issued notices to five students for burning copies of the ancient text Manusmriti on campus on March 8 despite being denied permission for it. A notice sent by the proctor’s office said the students, also members of students right wing group Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, have to explain themselves and appear before the chief proctor on Monday. PTI reported that the students had read out parts of the text, that allegedly had derogatory remarks against women, before burning it. A varsity official told PTI that the event was caught on video.
The move comes after the controversial rally held on campus on February 9 where students protested the judicial hanging of Parliament attacks convict Afzal Guru. Meanwhile, the university has also appointed a new registrar, former JNU student Pramod Kumar. Kumar, an associate professor at Delhi University’s Aurobindo College, was selected by a three-member team to take over after the current registrar Bhupinder Zushi’s term ends on March 31.
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