JNU bans protests on campus; may expel students who flout rules

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₹20,000 or expulsion, reported news agency PTI quoting JNU's new manual, adding any 'anti-national' act will attract a ₹10,000 fine. The new order in the manual applies to academic buildings of different schools that house offices of chairpersons, deans, and other important office-bearers, apart from classrooms and labs.

Earlier, as per a High Court order, protests within 100 meters of the administrative blocks, which house the offices of the Vice-Chancellor, registrar, and proctors, among others, were prohibited. According to the revised Chief Proctor Office (CPO) manual, the university has now barred protests within 100 metres of academic buildings as well as where classes are conducted.

ALSO READ: ‘PM Modi, Amit Shah ensured bloodless political solution, Kashmir is not Gaza’: Shehla Rashid The new manual says that any act to incite intolerance towards religion, caste, or community or an activity that is deemed 'anti-national' will invite a fine of ₹10,000. The development comes after the varsity witnessed an incident in October where an 'anti-national' slogan was scribbled on the School of Languages building wall and the administration announced to set up a committee to look into the repeated nature of such incidents on the campus.

Meanwhile, the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) has opposed the new rules and said it is an attempt to stifle dissent on campus and demanded its withdrawal. "The stringent measures outlined in the manual are aimed at stifling the vibrant campus culture that has defined JNU for decades.

The JNUSU demands that the university administration immediately revoke the new manual of the office of the Chief Proctor Manual," the students' union said. The Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit or the