JNU bans protest on campus, threatens up to ₹20,000 fine or even expulsion — how students reacted

Earlier, protests within 100 metres of the administrative blocks, which house the offices of the vice-chancellor, registrar, and proctors, among others, was prohibited as per a high court order.

However, according to the revised CPO manual, the university has now barred protests within 100 metres of academic buildings as well where classes are conducted.

The manual additionally specifies consequences for those who "arrange events such as freshers' welcome parties, farewells, or DJ events" on the campus without obtaining prior permission. Students found organising such gatherings may be subject to either a fine of ₹6,000 and/or may be required to perform JNU community service. Furthermore, the manual explicitly prohibits any form of protest in the vicinity of the residence of any university member.

This development comes after the JNU in October witnessed an incident where an "anti-national" slogan was scribbled on the School of Languages building wall and the administration announced a committee was being set up to look into the repeated nature of such incidents on the campus.

In accordance with recently-approved regulations during a meeting of the Executive Council on November 24, Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, or the designated competent authority, holds the authority to designate an act as punishable if it is deemed a violation of the university's discipline and conduct.

Additionally, they possess the discretion to either waive, modify, or uphold the assigned punishment as deemed appropriate.

The university has explicitly prohibited the printing, circulation, or posting of posters or pamphlets containing any form of derogatory remarks related to religion, community, caste, or anti-national sentiments.

Any act to incite intolerance towards a religion, caste, or community or an activity which is deemed "anti-national" will invite a fine of ₹10,000.

If a student is found involved in a hunger strike, dharna, 'group bargaining' and any other form of protest within a 100-metre radius of any academic and administrative complex or is found blocking entrance or exit of any of these complexes, they will either be fined ₹20,000, evicted from the hostel for two months or be rusticated and declared out of bounds for up to two months, the CPO manual said.

All forms of coercion such as gheraos, sit-ins or any variation of the same which disrupt the normal academic and administrative functioning of the university or any act inciting violence will be punished as well, it added.

A student who has received five or more punishments during the duration of their study shall be expelled from the university, the manual noted.

In addition, the administration will ensure that a copy of the imposed punishment is sent to the student's parents or guardian, along with its publication on the official website.

Should a student fail to participate in the proctorial inquiry, the committee will consider it an indication of the complaint being made with malicious intent, and the student may be required to engage in community service within JNU.

Making false accusations against a fellow student by the complainant may result in expulsion from the university.

Moreover, the university will no longer permit cross-examination between the defendant and the complainant or the witness, a rule that was previously integral to the proctorial inquiry process.

Students of JNU have said the new rules are against the campus culture and the values of JNU.

The JNU Students Union, in a statement, on Monday, December 11, said the “stringent measures outlined in the manual are aimed at stifling the vibrant campus culture that has defined JNU for decades."

The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (the student wing of Bhartiya Janata Party) has said, "Democratic protest is the basic right of student community in open campuses. The newly-released proctorial manual is a tyrannical fallout of incompetent and corrupt JNU administration."

Additionally, several students from JNU that CNBC-TV18 talked to said the campus of JNU is known for dissent and raising its voice via forms of protest. This action by the authorities is against the whole culture of JNU.

"When the Constitution allows for peaceful protests, how can authorities suppress the right to protest in an inter-cultural college like JNU," wondered Vikas Yadav, a student at JNU.

Another student, on the condition of anonymity, said JNU has always spoken against injustice, and this time to the students won't stay quiet. "They just sent us mails and released the manual without talking to the students or the unions and they expect us to accept it?" the student questioned.

Further, the manual says anything which the JNU administration considers to be in the nature of moral turpitude can be fined ₹20,000 and this involves wall posters, graffiti, protests, slogans, etc. "Who will decide what is harming someone's moral sentiment and what is not? How can my peaceful protest, which is against fee hikes or injustice, be considered moral turpitude? Additionally, many students in JNU are below the poverty line — so how do they expect these students to pay such high fines," said Payal Banerjee, student JNU.

Responding to the uproar from the students the VC Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit has said these rules have always been there and they have just been "fine-tuned" now. “These are the same rules that have been in place since 1969, I have not brought in any change to these rules. The rules are just fine-tuned and made legally sound on the directions of the Delhi High Court.” said Dhulipudi as reported by the Indian Express.

Additionally, although Chief Proctor Janardhana Raju told Indian Express that the decision was taken after consulting Executive Council, some teachers who are members of the council have alleged that the a detailed perspective was not given to the council on the new manual and the process of passing it was not followed before notifying it officially.