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JNU students hit the street protesting fee hike


Published : 18 Nov 2019 08:13 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 09:53 PM

Protesting a hike in hostel fee, hundreds of students of Jawaharlal Nehru University here hit the street on Monday attempting to march from the campus towards Parliament but were halted by heavy police deployment. Carrying banners which read "save public education", fees must fall" and "ensure affordable hostels for all", the students began the march from the university gates after police removed the security barricades from there.

However, the police stopped the march, which was called to coincide with the start of the nearly month-long winter session of parliament, about 500 metres from the varsity's gates. The students have been protesting for nearly three weeks against the draft hostel manual which has provisions for hostel fee hike, dress code and curfew timings.

The police said about 800 policemen and women were deployed outside the JNU campus in south Dehi. A senior official said police personnel were accompanying the agitating students during the march to ensure no untoward incident takes place. Former JNU Students' Union President N Sai Balaji said "Delhi Police stops JNU students peaceful march to parliamentarians! The protest march comes on the first day of the Parliament's Winter Session, which will end on December 13.”

The Indian Human Resources Development Ministry has appointed a three-member committee to recommend ways to restore normal functioning of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).