JNUSU to take out protest march to Parliament on first day of winter session

Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU) will take out a march to Parliament on Monday to protest against hostel fee hike. JNUSU said it would be a march to save public education and appeal to MPs to take up cause. Students are protesting inside administration block of university against increase in hostel fee, even though JNU anunced a rollback in hike on Wednesday evening. students have dubbed partial rollback as an "eyewash". 

On Wednesday, JNU administration anunced a rollback hostel fees after massive and continuous protest by students. Anuncing rollback on Twitter,  Education Secretary R Subrahmanyam said that JNU executive committee has rolled back fees that was hiked. Secretary also added that it is time to go back to classes as JNU executive committee has proposed a scheme for ecomic assistance to EWS students. 

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This comes after students on Wednesday held a protest outside UGC and submitted a memorandum of ir demands to EC members. students led a massive protest since Monday morning at convocation venue against  "anti-student" policies of varsity's administration. While administration barricaded area outside auditorium, clashes were reported between forces deployed for security and JNUSU students.

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Why were students protesting?

students' union has been on a strike against Draft Hostel Manual which was approved by Inter-Hall Administration. y claim that manual has provisions for fee hike, curfew timings and dress code restrictions for students. y have said y will t end strike till Hostel Manual is withdrawn. It is said that after fee hike is implemented, JNU will be most expensive Central University. 

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Controversy over alleged vandalism 

Earlier on Thursday, objectionable and abusive remarks were written around a soon-to-be-unveiled statue of Swami Vivekananda on JNU campus amid student protests. Soon after incident, JNU released an official statement condemning act and assured that strict action will be taken against those involved. While student union has maintained that y were t involved in incident and had reportedly washed off written remarks after it came to light, Delhi police has lodged an FIR on Sunday. Earlier, JNU administration also had filed two complaints against those who had defaced VC's building during protests.

Winter Session of Parliament

Winter Session of Parliament is scheduled to be held between vember 18 and December 13. A total of 20 sittings will be re is this session. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired an all-party meet ahead of winter session of Parliament. Prime Minister said that he is looking forward to a productive winter session of Parliament, where people-centric and development-oriented issues will be discussed. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday appealed to all political parties for cooperation to ensure smooth functioning of House.

Briefing reporters after meeting, Lok Sabha speaker Birla said, opposition parties will be allowed to raise any issue in House after discussion in Business Advisory Committee. Union Ministers Prahlad Patel and Arjun Ram Meghwal, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, DMK leader TR Balu and TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, LJP's Chirag Paswan, BSP's Danish Ali and AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi among ors attended meeting. Meanwhile, government has convened an all-party meeting in New Delhi on Sunday. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has also convened a meeting of leaders of different political parties in Upper House.

READ: JNU rolls back hostel fee-hike after massive students' protest