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The Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA) speaking in support of terminal PhD and MPhil students, has reminded the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and University Grants Commission (UGC) of how COVID-19 impacted the research students. BAPSA wrote a long note after these students have been told to leave the hostel by December 31.
In the official letter, BAPSA also asked UGC and JNU administrations to grant the students an extension right away so that they can finish their courses without feeling “anxiety and undue pressure” as well as avoid being forced to drop out.
JNU had been closed for many months during the COVID lockdown, and access to the library, lab, and other university resources had been severely restricted to prevent the spread of coronavirus. According to BAPSA, the UGC and JNU are “now completely ignorant” of any pandemic consequences.
According to the official release of BAPSA, the varsity’s students union (JNUSU) is watching from afar as if this burning issue is unimportant to them. “The call by JNUSU for a protest demonstration at UGC on December 19 will be very late, and the students are constantly anxious and stressed,” BAPSA said.
The students association went on to say that many students of PhD terminal batches and 2020 MPhil batch (who were admitted in January 2021) are in the process of completing their dissertations. It stated, “Without an extension, they will be forced to deregister and drop out (a likely possibility for MPhil students since NEP2020 abandoned the MPhil) by losing several years of academic life.”
The students’ group further claimed that the JNU administration blamed the students rather than supporting them. Despite “failing miserably” in providing support for these students, the JNU administration and UGC have been “harassing” them and refusing to accept responsibility, as per BAPSA.
The PhD and MPhil terminal batch students approached the JNU vice-chancellor on December 15 to talk about their concerns. However, the students’ association disclosed that after long hours of wait the VC categorically stated that the administration cannot grant a six-month or three-month extension. She even noted that the administration had sent letters to the UGC regarding student issues, but no concrete decision had been made, the association added.
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