JNU invokes rulebook on academic requirements for students

The spotlight may be on the agitation by students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) but the varsity's administration is firmly invoking the rulebook removing students from the rolls if they do not meet the academic requirements in the soon to be conducted examinations.

The JNU administration will conduct examinations on December 12, undeterred by the academic boycott called by the JNUSU.

The JNU Registrar has asked the faculty to conduct their lectures ensure that students fulfil the requirements to write the end semester exams on December 12.

"All the school buildings are open. All the faculty members are requested to conduct their lectures and other academic activities. It is important to ensure that students fulfil all their academic requirements to be eligible to write the end semester exams which are scheduled to start on December 12, 2019", the administration said in a recent communication.

In another communication to the faculty and students, JNU administration has pointed out that with each day of disruption, the prospects of maintaining the minimum teaching days under UGC rule is becoming a grim task. It has emphasized that the only a group of students are protesting but thousands of students are suffering on account of this.

"You are aware that due to the ongoing agitation by a group of students, thousands of students who wish to resume their academic activities are adversely affected. The JNU Administration has appealed to the agitating students time and again to return to their classes and resume their academic works. With each passing day, the prospects of maintaining the minimum teaching days in a Semester as per the UGC Rule is getting grimmer", it said.

All Deans, Chairpersons and faculty members have been asked to share information to the students and apprise them of the academic rules of the University so that their academic interests can be protected.

The last date for submission of M.Phil. dissertation/Ph.D thesis in the schools and forwarding the same to Evaluation Branch is December 31 for the monsoon semester.

The JNU administration has laid out rules for minimum scores failing the names of students will automatically be struck off the rolls across courses.

It said that academic ordinance relating to the Award of the Master of Philosophy Degree (Clause 7), stipulates that students need to clear at least 50% of the total courses and in case they fail to clear any of these courses (vide Clause 8) or fail to secure a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5 on completion of course work at the end of 2nd semester their name will be automatically removed from the roll list of the University.

Similarly, students pursuing their B.A. (Hons.) programme need to clear the sessional examinations and maintain a minimum of CGPA as specified in Clause 9 of the ordinance relating to the award of B.A (Hons.), B.A. (PASS) degrees failing which their name will be removed from the JNU roll list vide the clause 11.

Students who fail to meet the norms and requirements under Clause 9 and 11 of the ordinances relating to the award of M.A., M.Sc., degrees will be dropped from the JNU roll list.

According to the university's academic rules, the sessional examinations need to be conducted as per the approved academic calendar before the end semester examinations, which is from December 12 until December 20.

Keeping in view the present scenario, all those Centres where the third sessional exams have not been conducted yet, the concerned Deans and Chairpersons are requested to ensure that the sessional exam schedules are announced at the earliest and conducted by the concerned teachers as per the schedule, the administration said.
-IANS