JNU V-C urges students to end hunger strike
'Your expectations of immediate acceptance of all your demands is neither administratively realistic nor legally tenable,' Pandit wrote in a letter addressed to the protesting students. 'I, once again, urge you to immediately end your hunger strike and come for a meeting to resolve issues through negotiations and mutual understanding.'
Citing health concerns, she added: 'Despite repeated medical evaluation and advice from doctors to discontinue in your long-term interests, you have chosen to persist. Let me remind you that you held repeated meetings with me and the administration.'
The protest began in June after the university refused to grant automatic extension of hostel accommodation rights to research scholars who have received academic extensions to complete their PhDs.
At the heart of the stand-off is an undertaking issued by the Dean of Students on July 7, which required students seeking hostel extension to declare their PhD submission date and acknowledge that such extensions are granted only 'on humanitarian grounds subject to the availability of hostel accommodation on a case-to-case basis'.
In response, JNUSU argued the undertaking disregarded the material realities of research scholars, especially those who are not (National Eligibility Test) NET-qualified and receive a meager Rs 8,000 monthly stipend.
'No one is aware of the things that might happen during fieldwork, which might cause delay,' the statement said, arguing that timelines for PhD submission are not always within students' control.
In their July 7 meeting with the Dean, JNUSU demanded that academic extension should by default translate to an extension of hostel accommodation. The union claimed that JNU's refusal to guarantee automatic academic extension can trigger forced dropouts, especially among scholars from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
India to boost rare earth magnet production to counter China's supply curbs: G Kishan Reddy
Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy on Saturday said that the Central Government has decided to begin the production of rare earth magnets in Hyderabad, as part of its broader push for self-reliance in critical technologies. Speaking to ANI, the minister said, "The Central Government has decided to produce rare earth magnets in Hyderabad. Our Mining Ministry's NFTSM institute is working diligently, along with various industries, to manufacture the necessary machinery." Reddy further added that the government will soon showcase its capabilities in manufacturing permanent magnets. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brain tumor has left my son feeling miserable; please help! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo "Within the next 3-4 months, they will showcase their efforts in manufacturing permanent magnets. This initiative involves collaboration between the industry, mining, and other ministries, and has been discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Central Government is working seriously towards the production of rare earth magnets," he said. Highlighting India's shift in sourcing strategy, the minister noted that India was previously entirely dependent on China for rare-earth permanent magnets. Live Events "We were 100 per cent dependent on China for rare earth permanent magnets, but recently China denied supplying to us," Reddy said. China had announced in April 2024 that it would impose export controls on certain rare earth-related items, triggering a global supply shortage, including in India. In the light of rare earth magnet production, on Friday, Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), welcomed the central government initiatives to ramp up rare earth magnet production in India, particularly the incentives the latter is earmarking for. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the setting up of the Critical Mineral Mission in the Union Budget for 2024-25 on July 23, 2024. The Union Cabinet in January 2025 approved the launch of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) with an expenditure of Rs 16,300 crore and an expected investment of Rs 18,000 crore by Public Sector Undertakings.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
19 minutes ago
- Business Standard
PM Modi highlights job creation through welfare, manufacturing push
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday emphasised his government's focus on generating employment in the public and private sectors, asserting that the country has progressed in every field in the past 11 years. In a virtual address after the distribution of over 51,000 appointment letters, he said his government's welfare schemes, be it building over 4 crore houses for the poor, distributing over 10 crore new LPG connections or the rooftop solar programme, have created lakhs of new employment opportunities and so have a host of other initiatives that led to growth in manufacturing sector. Speaking of his recent five-nation tour, he said the whole world now recognises the strength of India's demography and democracy. The ability of India's youth is its biggest capital and a guarantee of the country's bright future, he added. He said, "The world acknowledges today that India possesses two infinite powers. One is demography, the other is democracy. In other words, the largest youth population and the largest democracy." The prime minister asserted that the agreements signed during his tour will benefit Indian youth both within the country and abroad. The treaties cover critical sectors such as defence, pharmaceuticals, digital technology, energy, and rare earth minerals and will create far-reaching benefits. "These initiatives will not only strengthen India's global economic standing but also generate meaningful opportunities for young Indians in both manufacturing and services," he said. Noting that over 25 crore people were lifted out of poverty in the past 10 years, the prime minister said it would not have happened but for the employment and sources of income generated for them. These poor people used to have a difficult living and feared death but became so strong that they defeated poverty, he added. Citing an International Labour Organization report, Modi said over 90 crore people were covered under the ambit of welfare schemes in the last decade. India, based on its Gini index, is among the countries with the highest equality, he said, underscoring his government's pro-people efforts. Modi said his government's focus on boosting manufacturing has paid off, saying electronic manufacturing has risen over five times to be worth Rs 11 trillion in 11 years and mobile manufacturing units number nearly 300 from two to four earlier. Defence manufacturing is being discussed proudly after Operation Sindoor, he said in an apparent reference to the display of India's indigenous military capability during the conflict with Pakistan. The worth of defence production has gone beyond Rs 1.25 trillion, he said, adding that India is now on its way to becoming the third-largest economy. Modi said India has emerged as the largest locomotive producer in the world and rail and metro coaches have registered strong exports. The automobile sector, he added, has attracted USD 40 billion in FDI in just five years, resulting in new factories, new job opportunities, and record vehicle sales. The government, he said, is also focusing on creating new employment opportunities as he referred to the Employment Linked Incentive Scheme, under which people in their first job in the private sector will be given Rs 15,000. The government will contribute to the first salary of their first job and has allocated a budget of approximately Rs 1 trillion, he said, adding that it is expected to help in the creation of about 3.5 crore new jobs. He stressed the transformative power of India's manufacturing sector in driving national growth, generating employment, and accelerating India's journey toward becoming the world's third-largest economy. Appointment letters were distributed as part of the government's Rozgar Mela. The Rozgar Mela will play a significant role in providing meaningful opportunities to the youth for their empowerment and participation in nation-building, a government statement has said. Over 10 lakh recruitment letters have been issued so far under it, it said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United News of India
34 minutes ago
- United News of India
Kishan Reddy highlights youth's role in building Viksit Bharat
Hyderabad, July 12 (UNI) Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy today highlighted the crucial role of India's youth in realising the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Viksit Bharat 2047' Speaking at the 16th Rozgar Mela at Rail Kalarang in Secunderabad, he congratulated the 51,000 newly appointed youth across India and urged them to play a key role in building a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. He said the Modi government has so far provided over 10.5 lakh government jobs through Rozgar Melas and is committed not just to creating jobs but also empowering youth to become job creators. Citing the success of Startup India, he noted that over 1.60 lakh startups have generated 17.6 lakh jobs, especially in smaller towns, reducing the need to migrate for employment. Highlighting women's participation, he said 68 per cent of 52 crore Mudra loans were given to women and over 1 crore women are now earning above Rs 1 lakh annually under the Lakhpati Didi scheme. Women's labour force participation has grown from 23 per cent in 2017–18 to 41.7 per cent in 2023–24, with unemployment among women dropping to 3.2 per cent. On the skilling front, he said 1.6 crore youth have been trained under the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana, including in emerging sectors like AI, drones, and cybersecurity. A National Skill Training Institute will be set up in Hyderabad with Rs 1,000 crore. He also mentioned paid internships in top 500 companies and a push to create 3.5 crore new jobs in the next two years through employment-linked incentives. He highlighted that India now has the third-largest startup ecosystem, is leading globally in digital transactions, and ranks second in internet usage. The country is now self-reliant in defence production, manufacturing battle tanks, missiles, and submarines domestically. Calling the youth India's greatest strength, Kishan Reddy said that with their dedication and the government's support, no one can stop the country's rise. In his concluding remarks, Kishan Reddy urged the newly appointed government employees to remember the contributions of their parents and teachers and to serve the country with dedication and responsibility. He said that if the sincerity of the youth is matched with the government's initiatives, India's progress will be unstoppable. 'Let us walk together and build a new India that the world will admire,' he said, extending his best wishes to all the new recruits. UNI VV RKM
