The high-level committee constituted by the Jawaharlal Nehru University to resolve the standoff between students and the administration in the fee hike matter on Monday recommended a 50% reduction in service and utility charges, The Indian Express reported.
The committee recommended that the utility and service charge be brought down from Rs 2,000 per month to Rs 1,000 a month for all students, and 75% reduction in these charges for those below the poverty line. It said the eligible BPL students would be charged Rs 500 in place of Rs 2,000 per month.
“The HLC considered the feedback of the student representatives submitted to the dean of students’ office through emails,” University Registrar Pramod Kumar said in a circular. “The committee has made significant recommendations that would benefit all the students in the university by addressing their concerns.”
He added that the recommendations of the HLC have been “approved by the executive council through circulation”.
However, the rest of the proposed revision of fees remain unchanged.
The registrar said he “hoped the concessions” will “go down well with the student community and stakeholders at large”.
The circular from the administration also added that the student strike has caused enormous academic loss to a vast number of students in the university. “The administrative shutdown due to occupation of the Administration Building has compounded the woes of the JNU community,” it added. “Further continuation of lockdown of schools would be unacceptable national loss. Therefore, the administration appeals to the agitating students to end their strike with immediate effect in the academic interest of their fellow students. The university’s image has already taken a beating and normalcy in the university must return at the earliest.
The move comes even as a committee created by the Ministry of Human Resource Development was due to submit its report in the matter. The last partial fee rollback was not accepted by the students and resulted in massive protests.
The JNU administration on November 22 defended the fee hike, saying it is facing a fund deficit of Rs 45 crore. The University Grants Commission on Monday agreed to release Rs 6.41 crore to administration to help the institution.
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