New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration on Tuesday condemned the strike being observed by the students as “unlawful”, a violation of High court and university rules, and appealed to them to “refrain” from their activities.

Since Friday, the university students’ union is observing a total ‘lock down’ of the university and hardly any classes have been conducted since then, while a different group of students has blocked the main road entry to the campus.

The agitation of the students is against a university circular issued on Friday, which proscribed those students who do not comply by the new attendance rules from promoting to the next semester, and stipulated withdrawal of their scholarship/fellowship and hostel accommodation.

“JNU administration deplores the continuing agitation against the compulsory attendance rules through unlawful means. The road block along with the main artery of the campus roads has been causing enormous difficulties to children to commute by school buses… ,” the administration said in a statement.

Despite its encourgement to culture of “debate, discussion, dissent and even peaceful and lawful methods of protest”, it said, the students, now joined by teachers’ union, are “hellbent on violating the rules and regulation”.

Arguing in favour of its decision of implementing attendance rule, it said, the rule is “already compulsory under UGC norms for research scholars who get 30 days leave in a year”, and that “no new rule” has been thus introduced.

“Since the vast number of students and research scholars have already lost valuable academic hours due to their activities, the administration appeals to those who are indulged in spreading misinformation and in staging protests through unlawful methods to refrain from such activities,” it said.

–IANS
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