'AAL IZZ NOT WELL' in Jawaharlal Nehru University: 'UNBEARABLE situation, LIVES of students at stake' - WATCH

The life of students is at stake in India’s second-best University, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Who shall be answerable for the inadequate situation in which these students are living? What is the administration doing?

Image Credit: ANI; Representational purpose only

New Delhi: Ceiling and plaster lumps falling off with rain sprinkling through the roof in the hostels of Jawaharlal Nehru University, the country's second-best university, according to the NIRF ranking. Every year the monsoon season exposes the crumbling infrastructure and the negligence of the JNU administration and others responsible for the dire situation in which students are living. Nevertheless, there is no one to attend to these grievances. At Periyar Hostel, which was constructed in early 1970 and is one of the oldest hostels in JNU, specially-abled students, Vijay Pradhan was lucky enough to be alive after a chunk of plaster from the ceiling in his room fell off on September 22. The same thing happened with Umesh Chandra Ajmeera who lives in room number - 235, Sutlej Hostel JNU. In his room, a ceiling chunk fell off just beside his bed.

Umesh told Zee Media, “We are living in very poor condition. We don't even get basic facilities for living. even the rickshaw facilities are not provided to us after the reopening of the campus after COVID-19 lockdown. There are fellowship issues like the fellowships are not provided to students on time. The administration was not releasing the prospectus for new admission. Library facilities are not accessible. After protesting the administration released MCM, and granted a fellowship and other fellowships to many students, the prospectus has been released, and the administration agreed to give tender for rickshaw facilities. Without hostel, without fellowship and library how can we study?” The lives of students are at stake at Jawaharlal Nehru University. 

Vijay, a third-year student of Bachelors of Arts said, “On September 22, it was raining in the evening, I came back to my room and kept the umbrella on the balcony, as soon as I stepped into my room from the balcony the ceiling dropped on the umbrella. Even now half of the balcony’s ceiling is about to fall.  The water coolers are not working. They are not even maintained. Rooms leak, and I have to go to different hostels for water. There are more than 30 cases of Dengue in Kaveri and Periyar hostels. 56 crores were granted by UGC but the work has not yet started. No one in the administration listens to our problem.”

PhD student, Sambhavi Shukla from room number 61 of Godavari hostel has to sleep on the floor. Sambhavi quotes “ During the last few days when it was raining, the rainwater was sprinkling in the room through the fan. Books and bedding are wet due to this, I am sleeping on the floor. The ceilings fall anytime in JNU hostels. The renovation has not started. Food is unsatisfactory.”

Vikram Singh who is studying in the first year of Masters of Arts, Korean Centre said “In my room, the balcony’s ceiling has fallen off, My roommate got saved luckily. Rainwater is dripping through the ceiling, Water is getting into the Almirah, and this happens in every monsoon season. This is not the first time I am facing this situation. I have complained to the caretaker even last year but still, no action was taken. The Mess is in poor condition. Rainwater is pouring through the roof at the same place where the food is being cooked.” As per the Renovation Map released by the Jawaharlal Nehru University administration the 1st phase’s renovation has to end in October but the process has not yet started as per the students.

Kritika Ojha, a student from the Godavari says “ Since I have come to JNU, my room’s lock is not working. Whenever it rains, the water drips onto my head. I eat, sleep, and study in the same situation. Washrooms are not clean, complaints are not heard by wardens, workers don’t have sanitation equipment, no green vegetables in the mess, No one takes responsibility for the mess, not even the mess committee or the administration. Renovation work has not started in my hostel. This hostel is mostly for specially-abled students. The floor of the passage is broken, due to which the specially-abled students sometimes fell, their washrooms are in very bad condition and the administration is not considerate about them.”  

#ABVPJNU के इकाई अध्यक्ष @_RohitJNU जेएनयू के नर्मदा हॉस्टल की मेस की बारिश में टपकती, बहती और टूटती, जर्जर छतों का हाल दिखाते हुए। ऐसे ही टपकती, कभी भी गिर सकने वाली छतों में ही मेस चल भी रही है, और @JNU_official_50 प्रशासन कोई कार्यवाही नहीं कर रहा...

जेएनयू प्रशासन होश में आओ pic.twitter.com/elgPE7s9q7

— ABVP JNU (@abvpjnu) September 25, 2022

The students who are living at JNU have been facing these situations for a long time. They say that the JNU Administration has renovated very few rooms from the hostel funds earlier. The administration should take up these cases and renovate hostels to give these students a safe environment to study. 

Zee Media called the Dean of students, Mr Sudhir, but he denied to speak and later stopped picking up our calls. It's high time for the JNU administration, the state and the centre to look into these issues faced by the students every day. Jawaharlal Nehru University is one of the most prestigious universities in our nation. Students come here from different states to study, research and contribute to our country’s growth. These students should get at least a better abode to live and study.