JNU Students' Indefinite Hunger Strike Enters Eighth Day Despite Health Concerns

Two Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students participating in an indefinite hunger strike were admitted to AIIMS after falling ill. They refused treatment to continue protesting against the administration's non-responsive attitude toward their demands. The strike, which began on August 11, has entered its eighth day.

Two Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students participating in an ongoing indefinite hunger strike were admitted to AIIMS on Monday after their health deteriorated, officials said.

The Health Centre of JNU referred the students to AIIMS, Delhi, due to their worsening condition.

The strike, now in its eighth day, targets the administration’s unresponsive stance on their demands since August 11.

''The two students have signed a document of leave against medical advice (LAMA) and refused to get treatment. We had referred them to AIIMS after assessing their health condition,'' stated Fouzia Firdous Ozair, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of JNU, speaking to PTI.

JNU Vice-chancellor Santishree D Pandit confirmed, ''They have taken responsibility, refused treatment and signed the LAMA document. The JNU administration has informed their parents that, as adults, they have refused medical treatment.''

The protesting students are demanding an increase in the merit-cum-means (MCM) scholarship to at least Rs 5,000, the opening of the Barak Hostel, operational since February, and the revocation of the Chief Proctor's Office (CPO) manual, penalizing protests with fines up to Rs 20,000.

Additional demands include reinstating the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) and withdrawing proctorial inquiries against students protesting for water and gender justice issues.