The Jawaharlal Nehru University announced on Tuesday the elections for the JNU Students’ Union. The JNUSU elections have been delayed for the past four years. The election will take place in eight weeks, starting on February 2, the day the PhD student academic session begins. The action was taken hours after the JNU Students Union vowed to start a protest against the management of the university. According to the notification, the elections for PhD students would take place six to eight weeks after the start of the academic year.
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NOTIFICATION ABOUT JNUSU ELECTIONS
“This is to notify everyone that the JNU Students Union Elections 2023–24 will take place approximately 6–8 weeks after the PhD program begins, on February 2, 2024,” the announcement stated. It further stated that the Office of the Dean of Students will release comprehensive rules for organizing the elections for the student union in due time.
JNU’S CONTROVERSIAL RULES: THREATENING THE SPIRIT OF FREE EXPRESSION
STUDENTS DEMANDS FOR JNUSU ELECTIONS
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) demanded earlier in the day that the students union polls be announced as soon as possible. They also called for a “university strike” on January 30. VC Santishree D. Pandit received a new memo from the students’ union requesting that JNUSU elections be held. The CPO handbook and any disciplinary actions taken against the students be revoked.
JNU’S CONTROVERSIAL RULES: THREATENING THE SPIRIT OF FREE EXPRESSION
“Despite numerous requests to your office regarding JNUSU elections, the revocation of the CPO manual, and proctorial inquiry. There has been no formal communication or answer to the same,” the letter addressed to the VC stated. On January 15 and January 17, respectively, the student body wrote letters to the vice-chancellor and the dean of students. According to the student body, if the administration does not issue the election notification by February 2nd, there will be a complete non-cooperation movement.
JNU’S CONTROVERSIAL RULES: THREATENING THE SPIRIT OF FREE EXPRESSION
The student’s body said in a statement threatening to stage an agitation if their demands were not met. The JNU administration has not released a single circular regarding the holding of elections, despite verbal assurances. The notification for JNUSU elections will be announced with the new academic calendar. For the past four years, JNU elections have not been held. The last JNUSU election was held in 2019.
