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related to appointments, promotions, a regular feature of JNU’s intellectual
confirmations, allocation of housing, life, have petered out. The process of
and even the functioning of statutory seeking permission has become diffi-
meetings were being taken unilater- cult, if not impossible, with sign-offs
ally without consultation with the required from the hostel president,
Academic Council. Meetings of uni- warden, the provost, and then the
versity bodies were being held online dean — a three-day process. Against
despite repeated requests for physical this until 2016, permission from one
sessions, only to “thwart real delibera- professor was enough.
tion” and secure “rubber-stamp” ap- As a result, there is growing an-
provals. “The culture of compliance tagonism between newly recruited
that the VC is trying to create and a faculty and students and increasing
liberal academic culture don’t go to- confrontations in classrooms. Right
gether,” says JNUTA president Surajit now the newly elected JNUSU of-
Mazumdar. fice bearers are protesting that Prof.
I N ADDITION TO DILUTION OF Menon: “imaginary achievements” of the Centre for International Poli-
Swaran Singh, three-time chairman
tics, continues to remain on campus
academic autonomy and “in-
filtration” of BJP/RSS sym-
rassment by an Internal Complaints
pathisers into the faculty, pro- and security issues through traditional despite being indicted for sexual ha-
Indian knowledge systems. According
motion of new Centres dedicated to to Prof. Nivedita Menon (quoted earli- Committee (ICC).
study and research of subjects close to er) the promotion of these knowledge Nevertheless despite a vitiated con-
the ideology of the establishment are systems is “superficial, celebratory, frontationist environment in which
changing the character of JNU, charge boastful, factually inaccurate and re- ABVP student activists experience
faculty spokespersons. They cite a plete with imaginary achievements”. minimal difficulty in holding prayer
recent proposal to establish a Chha- Beyond academics and administra- meetings and processions across the
trapati Shivaji Maharaj Centre for tion, the famously liberal environment campus, JNU remains a beacon of
Security and Strategic Studies within of JNU has undergone a discernible academic hope for aspiring upwardly
the School of International Studies to change. The varsity’s vast open spaces mobile students countrywide, because
promote Indian strategic thought that designed by Basil Spence, architect of of its reputation as an island of excel-
has been given the green light. This Sussex University (UK), were meant to lence in a sea of aridity. It consistently
centre will study Maratha military his- function as “amphitheatres of ideas,” ranks high nationally (often #2 by
tory, guerrilla warfare, naval tactics, where teachers and students were en- NIRF) and is ranked among the Top
and governance, offering courses, di- couraged to “walk and talk, discussing 1000 globally (#558 in the QS World
plomas, and doctoral programmes on the latest seminar or the last piece of University Rankings 2026), with an
ways and means to integrate ancient research, or a distinguished lecture.” A++ NAAC grade, and is recognised
wisdom into modern defence studies While these public spaces are still by UGC as a University of Excellence.
and counter Western-centric views. open to students for debate, JNUSU JNU is still the institution which
A second centre, the Kusumagraj leaders say it is a struggle for students shaped Kanhaiya Kumar, the son of
Centre, will also promote Marathi to get committee rooms or auditori- an anganwadi worker from Bihat
language and literature at JNU. Both ums for lectures and events. Even the in Begusarai, Bihar, into a national
centres are backed by the Maharash- 9 p.m debates in the mess which were leader; where Pradeep Shinde was
tra state government, which has allo- transformed into an associate profes-
cated Rs.10 crore for the project. sor of sociology despite the challenges
Moreover, recently JNU has also Despite a confrontationist of being a Dalit. JNU has a record of
established centres for Hindu, Bud- environment JNU remains a being on the right side of history. Its
dhist and Jain Studies to incorpo- beacon of hope for aspiring students went to jail during the Emer-
rate Indian knowledge systems into gency, rescued Sikhs during the 1984
mainstream research. These centres upwardly mobile students riots in Delhi (many of them were
have been set up under the School countrywide because of its hidden in Jhelum Hostel) and they
of Sanskrit and Indic Studies in con- marched from Gangotri to Rishikesh
sonance with the mandate of NEP famous liberal reputation as during the Tehri dam agitation.
2020. Moreover a Special Centre for an island of excellence in a The question is whether it can keep
its character and soul intact in the
National Security Studies (SCNSS), New India.
established in 2018, analyses defence sea of aridity

JANUARY 2026 EDUCATIONWORLD 61