7/31/2019 An Open Letter to the VC by the IHA Convenor on Arbitrary, Non Transparent and Autocratic Functioning of the De

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Sub: Arbitrary functioning of the Dean of Students office and

complete lack of accountability and responsibility

Dear Sir,

Al l of us cher is h the fa ct tha t we be lo ng to a un iv er sit y wh er e st ud en ts from al l pa rt s of the co un t ry in cl ud in g

remote and deprived regions are able to come and pursue higher education. We are also a part of a legacy where

different sections of the university community have ensured that after coming to this university the students canlive a l ife of dignity and affordable education. That is why, proper hostel facil ities and functioning of the Dean of

Students office becomes vital to maintain the standard and values that a Central University l ike JNU stands for.

But given the present manner of functioning of the Dean of Students off ice and the continuous anti -student

decisions taken by the same office, as IHA Convenor of JNUSU, I would like to raise certain questions on behalf of

the entire student community:

What in your view should be the purpose of Dean of Students office, should it be to facilitate students

or to harass them? Should the Deans office follow norms evolved in a democratic manner or unilaterally

discover rules intended only to harass the students.

Do decision making forums like the office of the hostel president, hostel committees, mess committees

and the IHA have any value to your administration or do you believe that certain officials in the Dean

of Students office can dictate the terms of functioning of an important institution in a central university

like JNU?

Have not several individual students as well as the JNUSU communicated to you and the Deans office

several times regarding the extreme inconvenience faced by students regarding the present

CENTRALIZED POOLING SYSTEM of single-seater allotment?

While the anti-student centralized pooling system still exists, why random norms are invented and

followed to determine seniority in allotting single-seater causing further inconvenience to the students.

Why the seniority of a student does get reduced if s/he has changed her/his hostel?

Does allotting hostel and providing basic facilities like a mess facility for students residing in dormitoriescome under the responsibility of DoS or can the responsibility of accommodating new students be

completely left to the voluntary contribution of the students who keep them as guests? Are youaware of the fact that even after half the semester has passed 696 students have not got hostel and

326 students are without any facility of SR/TR or dormitory in the P1 category itself? Are you aware of

the conditions in which the students of SPS dormitory are residing? Do you know that the long-

promised mess facility in SPS dormitory has not started till date and that they have to buy food from

the ad-hoc canteen there at extremely high rates?

Can the whimsical attitude of the different hostel administration be allowed to impose fines on students

for taking out food from the mess in their own utensils? Can different hostel administration be allowed

to scuttle democratic spaces of students by not allowing public meetings and asking students to sign

the register before entering into a hostel?

Why the residents of Yamuna hostel have to face continued harassment because of the absurd and

undemocratic decision making process by the administration? Why some working students arevictimized on the pretext of income cap that has been decided by Hostel Management Committee

where no student representation was ensured despite repeated demand by the students?

When will the IHA meeting take place or have you given complete sovereignty to the whims and

fancies of the officials in Dean of Students office to determine norms to run the university?

Open Letter to the Vice-Chancellor

Piyush Raj,

IHA Convenor, JNUSUDo Not Remove Till 13 Oct 2012

9.10.12