Alleging that there is tampering of reservation policy in admissions by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration, the JNU Students’ Union on Wednesday petitioned lok Sabha seeking its intervention to “restore” the benefits awarded to students belonging to backward castes. JNUSU submitted its request to lok Sabha’s Committee on Petitions through CPI (M) MP Jitendra Choudhury.
“Similarly, around 30 MPs of CPI(M), CPI, Congress, NCP and RJD among others will be writing to Union HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar seeking his intervention,” said Choudhury.
In the petition, the JNUSU said, “Clauses in the Admission Policy and Procedure 2018-19 (Annexure 1) has made written examination a qualifying paper and Viva is the sole criteria for selection.”
“A committee constituted by the varsity in 2016 to study discrimination in the admission process recommended reduction of Viva marks from 30 to 15 to mitigate the discrimination pattern. This shows that the varsity has violated fundamental rights, Central Education Institutions (Reservation in Admissions) Act 2006 and SC/ST Atrocities Act 1989,” stated the JNUSU petition, urging the committee to intervene.
“Earlier it was 70 marks for written test, 30 marks for viva. Combined marks of both would be considered for selection, besides properly fulfilling the reservation norms,” said JNUSU president Geeta Kumari.