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ongoing economic slowdown in the
country might have forced the govern-
ment to hike the fees but its a matter of
pity that the Centre has enough money
to fund the foreign tours of Modi and his
Cabinet ministers; not for the masses
who desperately need it.
Sharpening attack on the ruling BJP
government, Gudavarthy said there is
no difference between NSA Ajit Doval
and riots-accused Jagdish Tytler. From
fee hike to recruiting new high officials
at the university, Doval tries to incur Hin-
dutva ideology in the educational hub.
JNU students’ protest reverberated
in neighbouring Delhi University also.
Professor Hansraj Mehta from the Uni-
versity of Delhi said there is no doubt
wrote a social media users on Twitter. With the revised fee that IITs create young entrepreneurs
Another social media user said JNU and businessmen, but comparing them
students can afford to pay for alcohol, structure that will with JNU graduates is sheer foolishness.
watch movies at Priya Cinema but when come into effect Universities create lawmakers, bureau-
it comes to paying hostel rent, they crats, and other high officials who make
demand subsidy. The individual also next year, JNU is set policies and govern the country, said the
try aid the contribution made by a JNU- to become the most DU professor. “Unlike other educational
ite is minuscule to that of an IITian. The institutions, JNU played an important
IITians also pay a huge amount of money expensive central role in the lives of students coming from
for getting admissions and later play a university. Other economically marginalised families and
bigger role in the country’s development for the past many years, the institution
but it is only the JNUites who resort to central universities has provided exceptional exposure to the
dafli playing over little things, the person are much cheaper world of academia”, Mehta added.
added. According to Professor Mehta, JNU
Most of the students of the university, provides an equal opportunity to all
barring the ABVP supporters, have ex- is a serious concern and seems a part of classes of society ranged from under-
pressed their resentment over the un- draconian laws put forward by the BJP privileged to metropolitan students but
precedented fee hike as the move could government to preserve education for the university has been accused of a few
result in an estimated 3,000 or more the selective class. The recent fee hike allegations of elitism and caste bias, un-
jump in their monthly expenses. They say would directly hit poor families since like other institutions that provoke caste
it’s not about freebies, but freedom. they would have to spend more money bias and other elements in the education
Speaking on the issue, JNUSU general annually on educating their children as to suppress the lower sections of society.
secretary Satish Chandra Yadav said the apart from the hostel fee, they will also be Mehta claimed students from back-
fee hike will hurt the disadvantaged stu- required to pay electricity and water bills, ward and economically weaker sec-
dents most. As a result, about 40 per cent the former president added. tions of the society dared to migrate to a
students in 2017-18 won’t be able to pur- Ajay Gudavarthy, Associate Professor, metropolitan city like Delhi and join the
sue their studies as their monthly family Centre for Political Studies, said the JNU JNU because of the policies taken by the
income is below 12,000, Yadav added. demands the lowest possible fee from university for ensuring affordable educa-
JNUSU former president N Sai Bal- students to ensure that students from tion for all and sundry encouraged them.
aji said hostel fees was raised from 20 all walks are able to get the best quality “Today the university is proud to have
per month to 600 per month for sin- education at an affordable price. But con- created scores of students from different
gle rooms, and from 10 per month to trary to the perception, Central universi- sections including Dalit, tribal and other
300 per month for double rooms while ties like Visva-Bharati University, HCU, backward groups who have designed
a fixed fee of 1,700 was also charged in AMU, NEHU, and Pondicherry University their future in the world of academia,
an arbitrary manner. Balaji said JNU be- charge less fee than the JNU. politics and other fields,” said Mehta.
ing a leading education hub in South Lending his support to the student’s
Asia, the fee hike by the administration protest, Professor Gudavarthy said the LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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