Interim victory for JNUSU: Delhi High Court allows students to pay old fee amount

January 24: In a significant development, the Delhi High Court has given great interim relief to the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). During the hearing on Friday, the Delhi High Court has ordered that the students should be allowed to register only on the basis of old fees. The court said that no late fee of any kind will be charged from these students. The next hearing of the case will be held on February 28.

The court also issued notice to JNU administration on a please filed by JNUSU challenging the legality of the new hostel manual implemented by the university. Justice Rajiv Shakdher was hearing the petition filed by a group of JNU students’ union leaders including president Aishe Ghosh who have challenged the fee hike and the new hostel manual notified last year that prompted protests in the university campus and outside.

Pinky Anand, the Additional Solicitor General, asked the court to right away reject the plea, pointing that 90 per cent of the students had gone along with the fee hike and paid up. The judge wasn’t impressed with the reasoning. “If you don’t have a choice, what would you do?” he asked. According to the order, the remaining 10 percent of students will be allowed to register as per the old fee structure.

Justice Shakdher also countered the argument put forth by the Centre’s senior law officer that justified the fee hike, pointing that fees had been revised to pay salaries to contractual workers hired by the university. He said,  “Government cannot get out of education. Government has to fund public education. The burden of paying the salaries of contractual workers is not on the students. Someone should find the funds.”

Kapil Sibal, the lawyer of JNU student organization said that the increase in fees is illegal. said that the administration should take back the increased fees, the students from whom the money is taken should also be returned. Kapil Sibal, counsel for the petitioner, also sought a stay on the draft hostel manual from the court.