Jawaharlal Nehru University has agreed to revoke the rustication of JNUSU office-bearers and a former union president after a 17-day indefinite hunger strike over democratic rights, hostel facilities and equitable access to education, according to a statement issued by the students’ union.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union said the administration had also agreed to withdraw police cases and proctorial enquiries linked to student protests. The commitments mark a major development in the prolonged dispute between student representatives and university authorities.
The hunger strike began after a University General Body Meeting on October 1. Students had raised concerns about punitive action against elected representatives, hostel infrastructure, admission procedures and access to institutional mechanisms. The JNUSU said the administration’s response includes committees to review the Chief Proctor’s Office manual, examine the restoration of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Examination and address concerns over reservation in hostel allotments.
The administration has also agreed to provide the Equal Opportunity Office audit report within a week and reorganise the office in consultation with student representatives, the union said. The audit and proposed reorganisation are connected to wider concerns over how students access institutional support and how questions of equality are addressed within the university.
Several commitments relate directly to campus infrastructure and daily services. Structural audits have been promised for Tapti and Mahi-Mandavi hostels and the TEFLAS facility. The administration has also committed to making geysers functional in all hostels within two weeks, reopening the canteen at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance and extending school library timings until 9 pm.
The hostel-related commitments place basic services and building condition at the centre of the dispute. Structural audits would establish the condition of the identified facilities, while the proposed repairs to geysers concern an essential service used by residential students. The source statement does not specify the scope of the audits, the agencies that will conduct them or the repair budget.
Financial assistance is also part of the commitments. A 25 per cent increase in the Merit-cum-Means scholarship is under consideration, according to the JNUSU. The statement does not clarify whether the increase has received final approval or when it could take effect.
The university administration’s commitments cover disciplinary action, admissions, reservations, student support, hostel conditions, food services, library access and scholarships. Together, they link the immediate protest to the functioning of the campus as a residential and educational institution rather than to a single disciplinary dispute.
The JNUSU said it would monitor implementation of the commitments. A follow-up meeting with the administration is scheduled in two weeks, when the progress on the proposed reviews, audits, hostel services and other measures is expected to be discussed.
