Coronavirus: Vacating hostels is anti-student, says JNU students group

NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University’s decision to ask the students to leave the campus premises has drawn much criticism from the university students’ group.

Condemning the administration’s “ill-thought and anti-student decision” to empty the campus amid corona scare, left-leaning All India Students' Association (AISA), released a statement on Monday.

The statement said: “Making students residing in Delhi, one of the most connected cities, travel to all parts of the country will not only expose them to the virus but make them active carriers of the virus to different parts of the country.”

The decision will expose the students to high risk of virus transmission through “unplanned travel” on crowded trains, buses and other transport, the statement further added.

JNU suspended all classes and educational activities on March 13. On Monday, the administration issued a notice “strongly advising” students to vacate the hostels to reduce the risk of coronavirus.

Considering the growing number of cases, many other educational institutes have compelled students to vacate the hostels along with suspending classes.

However, public health experts have advised against it.

Students at a disadvantage

Drawing attention to research students in JNU, the statement pointed out that several PhD and MPhil students who are required to submit their these by July will not be able to communicate with their supervisors.

The decision is likely to affect students from marginalised backgrounds and disabled students the most as they will be unable to vacate the campus, the statement highlighted.

Shutting down of the library and other hostel facilities will also be detrimental for the students appearing for entrance examinations, the statement said.

The student group has asked the administration to reconsider their decision in the wake of the pandemic situation.

As on Tuesday, the number of positive coronavirus cases has risen to 125, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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