HRD ministry-appointed panel reaches JNU to hold talks with students

The HRD ministry-appointed panel reached the JNU campus on Friday to hold talks with the students regarding their disputes with the administration on the hostel fee hike issue. The panel members entered the university from another gate as students had formed a human chain inside the varsity campus to demand complete rollback of fee hike, ahead of the visit.

"Students are standing here to welcome the high powered committee. The students want to tell them about the issues arising due to fee hike, former students' union president N Sai Balaji had said ahead of the panel's visit. The HRD Ministry had formed the three-member committee on Monday to recommend ways to restore normal functioning of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and mediate between the administration and students who have been protesting for over three weeks over the hostel fee hike.

The first meeting of the panel with JNU Students Union (JNUSU) office-bearers, student counselors and hostel presidents took place on Wednesday at HRD Ministry. The panel has also met the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) members and Deans of all schools.