COVID-19: JNU Hostel Committees urge waiver of hostel, mess charges

Students have not used hostel facilities such as their rooms, utensils or crockery, the charges are not logical at this juncture.

Jawaharlal Nehru University's hostel committee presidents have written to the dean of students, to waive off the hostel and mess charges and urged that the circular asking the students to clear the dues before registering for the monsoon semester must be withdrawn. Meanwhile, the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) has also written to the varsity authorities "to urgently approve and act upon initiating a phased return of students, starting on a priority basis with those stuck in Delhi-NCR and otherwise bonafide residents and students, and terminal-year research scholars".

In the letter, they have also requested that the research schools shall be given an extension of six months from the date of entry to submit their thesis or dissertations and those who are unable to come back to Delhi shall be given a further extension. The letter of the hostel committees stated that the "JNU administration has initiated the registration process of the monsoon semester 2020 "at a time when the worsening pandemic situation and the administrative response have led to a majority of students not being present on the campus".

"Most of the students left the campus in March after an administrative circular advised them to do so. While they have neither availed mess nor hostel facilities since, they are being arbitrarily and unjustly charged for the same. Similarly, if students have not used hostel facilities such as their rooms, utensils or crockery, the charges are not logical at this juncture," it said.

On August 14, JNU in a circular announced the online registration for the monsoon semester and said the students will be required to pay all their dues such as tuition fees, hostel fees, mess charges etc. The letter also alleged that huge discrepancies were observed in the mess bills of students.

"The residents that remain on campus have not been provided breakfast since the lockdown commenced, yet the mess bill for the students exceed what could be presumed reasonable," it alleged. It also claimed that the quality of meals, in terms of nutrition and variety, too has been far lower than what is usually provided.

"Even though the mess bills have been clearly inflated artificially, the mess secretaries have not been given the opportunity to examine the bills for discrepancies in a clear violation of the provisions of the Hostel Manual," it said.

The letter also stated that even before the lockdown began and the campus was vacated, most of the due fellowships were not disbursed. "Even now, the situation has not improved much, with most students not having received either one or even two semesters of fellowship. In this situation, expecting students to pay mess dues is illogical, while forcing the same is unjust," it said.

The letter appealed to the Office of the Dean of Students to recommend the withdrawal of mess dues, "wherever published, until the same is examined and audited by the concerned mess secretary". "After the same is done, students should not be coerced to pay the bill until and unless their due fellowships for the last two semesters are disbursed," it said.

A JNU official said that the students have not received inflated mess bills and have not paid their dues from January to March. He said it is mandatory that the dues are cleared before students are allowed to register for the monsoon semester.

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