JNU under Rs 45 crore debt, administration says no 'major' hostel fee hike, only service charges levied
The JNU administration further claimed that the university is suffering from a huge financial deficit and it is necessary to levy those charges in the hostel.
Key Highlights
- JNU administration has claimed the university has a deficit of Rs 45 crore
- It also clarified that only service charges have been levied and no major hike has been done in fees
- JNUSU students have been vehemently protesting against the proposed hostel fee hike
New Delhi: Amid the ongoing protests from students, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration on Friday rebuffed the claims that there is a "massive" hostel fee hike and clarified that only service charges have been levied. The administration further claimed that the university is suffering from a huge financial deficit and it is necessary to levy those charges in the hostel.
In an official statement, the JNU administration said, "The university is having a deficit of more than Rs 45 crore. It is largely because of the huge electricity and water charges and the salary of contractual staff."
"There is a misinformation campaign which says that there is a massive hostel fee hike. In reality, service charges are being levied, which have been zero so far. For sustainability of budget which has run into a huge deficit, it's necessary to levy service charges in the hostel," read the statement further.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) has been vehemently protesting against the hike in hostel fees and other charges.
According to reports, the new fee structure includes a multi-fold hike in room rent from Rs 10/20 per month to Rs 300/600 per month. A new service charge of Rs 1,700 per month has also been added which will take the monthly hostel fee to Rs 2,000 and above.
Earlier on Wednesday, students of Delhi University staged a protest against the "lathi-charging" of agitating JNU students during a demonstration over the fee hike in the national capital. The DU students also protested against the New Education Policy and stressed that it is an "attempt" to privatise education.