Unhappy with varsity’s solutions, JNUSU continues hunger strike

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) on Monday stated that the administration’s response to their demands has been “unsatisfactory” as their hunger strike entered its 11th day.

The JNUSU’s protest, which has also drawn attention from All India Students’ Association (AISA) with their participation, is centred around issues related to PhD admissions, hostel extensions and student welfare policies.

The protestors raised concerns over the university’s decision to exclude candidates who appeared for the June 2025 UGC-NET in their PhD prospectus. The protesters contested that this leaves out many students, who are currently enrolled in Master’s programmes.

After the protests began, the university issued a circular on July 5, stating that the second cycle of PhD admissions for the academic year 2025-26 has tentatively been scheduled for December, giving the students a chance to apply for PhD admissions later in the year.

“This is no solution. Here, we are demanding JNUEE for PhD Admission. The entire delay of the academic cycle is happening because of dependency on the incompetent National Testing Agency (NTA),” JNUSU President Nitish Kumar told The Hindu.

Another issue being raised by the protesters is the eviction of the PhD scholars from the hostel. In response, the university issued a notification allowing an extension for PhD scholars in the hostel facility.

Mr. Kumar, however, said that they are “unsatisfied” with the notification as he claimed the academic extension is “self-validatory”.

“There is no need for any extra signatures from any authority. And how will the admonish decide the humanitarian grounds? Hostel accommodation is our right. We reject this notice. Admin must ensure that the hostel facility is available until PhD Submission,” Mr. Kumar said.

After joining the strike, AISA said, “Today, 236 students joined the mass relay hunger strike to escalate the ongoing indefinite hunger strike. We demand JNUEE for admissions, increased Merit-cum-means scholarships, and revocation of unfair proctorial punishments.”