Jawaharlal Nehru University students boycotted the end-semester examination on Thursday, 12 December continuing their agitation against the hike in hostel fee.
However, the School of Engineering, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management and Entrepreneurship, and the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies (SSIS) were exceptions.
Professor Hari Ram Mishra of the SSIS said students appeared in full strength for exams in the 10 am to 1 pm shift.
In some schools and centres, including the School of Life Sciences, Special Centre for Molecular Medicine and Special Centre for Nano Science, students came out of exam halls within minutes. They told their professors that they won't be able to take the examination to show solidarity with the protesting students.
VC Meets With Students Representatives, Teachers; No Headway
Meanwhile JNU VC Jagadesh Kumar held a series of meetings with students and teachers to discuss ways to restore normalcy at the varsity, but not much progress could be made as neither the students appeared to soften their stand nor the administration seemed keen to accommodate their demands.
At the School of Biotechnology, MSc students told their professors that they will take the exam only after their demand for a complete rollback of the fee hike is met.
“Two days back, the protesting students had come to our department and urged their counterparts here to boycott exams. Our students told them that they support the movement against fee hike but will not support the exam boycott since it will jeopardise their future,” he said.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) thanked the students for supporting the exam boycott.
Earlier in the day, the JNUSU, after a meeting with the HRD ministry officials, said that it will not call off the agitation till its demands are met in totality.
Students in various schools organised a sleep-in on Wednesday night. When professors came in the morning with papers, they refused to take the exam, said Preeti Gupta, a councillor at the School of Computer and Systems Sciences.
Another student said that the rules are quite strict for engineering students and even if they miss a single class, their parents are informed.
Fifteen engineering students had supported the boycott but they were convinced to appear for the exam by the protesters themselves.
Meanwhile, the administration said in a statement that a meeting of the deans of schools and the chairpersons of special centres with the vice-chancellor and the rectors was held on Thursday. It was appreciated that the end-semester examinations scheduled on December 12 were conducted in several schools and centres.
“It was unanimously agreed in the meeting that the exam must be completed as per the academic calendar of the university,” the varsity said.
The institution has seen protests for over a month over the hostel fee hike issue and even though the university has twice offered partial rollbacks, the students have refused to accept them.
The ministry last month set up a three-member committee to recommend ways to restore normalcy in JNU and mediate between students and university administration. The panel has submitted its report but the ministry is yet to take a call on it.
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