Call off strike, HRD minister urges JNU students
New Delhi/UNI: Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Monday pressed students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to call off their agitation saying that the fee-related matter has been sorted out and continuation of their agitation was not justified.
In a press release here, the ministry said the JNU fee hike issue stood resolved as this was the main demand of the students.
Till now more than 5,000 students have already registered for the winter season.
Urging the students that institutions of higher education should not be converted into a political arena, Pokhriyal said: "Taking into consideration the spirit of recommendations of the HPC, various meetings were held by Secretary HRD with representatives of students/teachers and JNU administration on December 10 and 11, 2019, certain mutually agreeable agreements were arrived at."
"In pursuance of the same, and after rounds of discussions, JNU has issued a statement that the students are not being asked to bear the cost of service and utility charges proposed for the winter session which was their basic demand. As agreed in the meeting of December 10-11, the revised hostel room charges, however, will remain applicable with 50 per cent concession for BPL students," he said.
"Therefore, the JNU fee hike issue stands resolved since this was the main demand of the students. Till now more than five thousand students have already registered for the winter season," he said.
The HRD ministry in an effort to break the deadlock following the three-month-long agitation by JNU students against the fee hike had under the guidance of Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ taken the lead by setting up a High Powered Committee (HPC) after the representatives of agitating JNU students met the HRD Minister who assured to look into the matter.
The committee had been appointed to restore the normal functioning of JNU through dialogue with all stakeholders and to advise the university administration for resolution of contentious issues.
The release said the ministry as well as the Union HRD Minister had the time and again appealed to the students to call off their protest since their key demand has been met with.
The minister said their demand related to hiking in service and utility charges and other related issues "have now been settled and continuation of agitation by the students is no longer justified."
Image credit : UNI
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