Delhi HC issues notice to JNU on JNUSU plea challenging new hostel manual  

Delhi High Court on Friday allowed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students who are yet to register for the new academic year under the old hostel manual.

Dismissing JNU’s plea that fee hike was necessary to pay salaries of daily wagers and out-sourced staff...

...Justice Rajiv Shakdher said the government must find funds for paying contractual employees in state-run educational institutions and students cannot be burdened with it.

The government has to fund public education. It cannot get out of it,” Justice Rajiv Shakdher said.

Justice Shakdher issued notices to JNU, the HRD ministry and UGC, seeking their stand on a plea by JNU Students Union against the new hostel manual.

They court said students of the reserved category, who come in the remaining 10% can also register as per the old manual and they should get registered within a week.

The Court has also directed that no late fee shall be imposed on such students for late registration.

The petition, from JNU Students Union challenging the decision to amend the hostel manual, had sought directions to quash the Draft Hostel Manual.

JNUSU alleged that the manual was "illegally approved by the IHA as the decisions taken by the IHA are malafide, arbitrary and illegal and adversely affect the students".

It also alleged that the decisions to bring about amendments in the hostel manual are contrary to provisions of the JNU Act, 1966, Statutes, Ordinances and the Hostel Manual.

"The amendments include reducing JNUSU representation in IHA, increased rates as applicable to hostel residents...

It also brought amendments to clauses of the Hostel Manual adversely affecting reserved category students in the University," the plea said.

It has been demanded that Jawaharlal Nehru University refunds the excess fees collected from the students as per the Draft Hostel Manual,

... or in the alternative for the fee to be adjusted as per the unamended Hostel Manual in the upcoming Monsoon Semester, i.e., July 2020.

The next date of hearing is on 28 February, the JNUSU has welcomed the court's decision and claimed that it has strengthened the JNUSU's movement against the arbitrary rules.