The HRD ministry’s diktat came when Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar met the ministry’s secretary Wednesday.
Three days after a group of masked men attacked students at the Jawaharlal Nehru university (JNU), the Union human resource development ministry on Wednesday told vice chancellor Jagadesh Kumar to make all out efforts to restore the normal functioning of the University at the earliest.
“Kumar along with Rector-II Prof. Satish Chandra Garkoti met Secretary, MHRD today morning and apprised that the situation in the campus is presently peaceful. They also informed that the Communication and Information System has been repaired and is now functional. The last date for student registration for the Winter Semester 2020 without fine has also been extended up to 20th January, 2020,” the ministry said in a statement.
“University administration has appealed to all the stakeholders to maintain peace in the campus and not to get provoked by any misinformation. University authorities were advised by the Ministry to make all out efforts for restoration of the normal functioning of the University at the earliest.”
Vice chancellor Kumar had come under fire from the students and teachers for failing to prevent the attack.
Top HRD ministry officials had earlier met officials from the JNU administration on Monday to take stock of the situation after Sunday’s violence.
The attack which victims alleged was carried out by ABVP supporters had left over 30 injured including JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh and some teachers
The university has been on the boil since the attack Sunday night that sparked outrage across the country and led to students at various universities in different cities to hold demonstrations in solidarity with the JNU students.
On Tuesday, Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone showed up at JNU to express her solidarity with the students.
A day after the attack, Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said that the government cannot allow educational institutions to turn into “political dens” and promised “strong action” against the perpetrators of the attack.
Prasanta Patnaik