Two rounds of discussions held with students on hunger strike: JNU administration

In a statement, the university administration said a committee appointed by the competent authority had met the hunger strikers on October 9 and October 14 to discuss their demands.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday said that it had held two rounds of discussions with the protesters and its administration was providing medical care to students sitting on a hunger strike, including rusticated students. Several students sat on a hunger strike, demanding that the administration revoke the rustication of the elected JNUSU members.

In a statement, the university administration said a committee appointed by the competent authority had met the hunger strikers on October 9 and October 14 to discuss their demands. The administration said the committee, headed by Prof Vivek Kumar, Dean of the School of Social Sciences, met the students at the Vice-Chancellor’s office on October 9. The meeting lasted more than four hours, following which two groups sitting on hunger strike ended their protest after receiving assurances from the committee, it said.

The two groups had refused to meet together and held separate discussions, according to the statement. The committee met the protesters again on October 14 at 5 pm, with discussions continuing for several hours. It was decided that the students would meet the committee at a later date, the administration said.

The university further stated that its Chief Medical Officer (CMO) had been checking the students’ vital signs and health conditions daily since the beginning of the protest. Medical care was also being provided to rusticated students on humanitarian grounds, with check-ups conducted twice a day as per medical protocol, it added. According to the statement, the competent authority had visited the hunger strikers at 8.50 am on October 16 but found no one sleeping at the site.

The administration also defended its handling of the rusticated students, claiming that they had caused damage to public property worth Rs 20 lakh, violated restrictions, remained on campus and participated in protests despite restrictions and bail conditions. “This administration has been the most democratic and humanitarian and never took extreme action against the rusticated students for destroying public property worth Rs 20 lakhs and violated all restrictions put on them, stayed on campus and participated in all protests which was also political, in violation of all rules and their bail conditions,” the administration said.

The administration further said the damaged property had been purchased with funds provided by the Government of India, describing it as taxpayers’ money. The statement comes a day after CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas sought President Droupadi Murmu’s urgent intervention over the indefinite hunger strike by JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) representatives and other students.

Brittas wrote to President Droupadi Murmu seeking urgent intervention over the indefinite hunger strike by JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) representatives and other students, which began on October 3 and entered its 16th day on Sunday. President Droupadi Murmu serves as the official Visitor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Brittas has sought the revocation of rustication orders against elected Students’ Union representatives, withdrawal of objectionable provisions of the Chief Proctor’s Office (CPO) Manual and an expedited resolution of the students’ longstanding grievances. In his letter dated October 18, addressed to the President, Brittas expressed concern over the students’ deteriorating health and the university administration’s failure to address their grievances.

“I write to your good self with deep concern regarding the indefinite hunger strike undertaken by the representatives of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) and other students since 3rd October, 2026, marking today as the sixteenth day of an extreme form of peaceful protest. The failure of the university administration to address the genuine and longstanding concerns of the student community has led to this continuing protest and contributed to the deteriorating health of the participating students, giving rise to a situation warranting urgent intervention,” he wrote. (ANI)