JNU cites Delhi HC order to deny automatic hostel extension for PhD scholars

NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration on Wednesday clarified that it cannot automatically extend hostel accommodation for the PhD scholars with academic extensions, citing directions from the Delhi High Court and institutional rules.

This comes amid a hunger strike by the student union members demanding extensions and the restoration of the university's entrance examination system. The university in an official circular referred to a recent High Court judgement in the case of Jommani Das vs JNU, which directed that the petitioner vacate the hostel by August 15, 2025.

The court had disposed of the petition on June 27, 2025 after the petitioner had sought hostel extension until the end of the year.

The circular stated that "in compliance with the above Court Directions, and as per the Inter Hostel Administration (IHA) rule", the vice chancellor is constrained from granting general hostel extensions to the PhD students nearing thesis submission unless the timeframe is explicitly defined.

The administration expressed concerns that an open-ended policy could create difficulties for incoming students and violate hostel allocation norms. The hunger strike by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union ( JNUSU ), now in its 13th day, has the extension of hostels as one of its main issues.

The students are protesting an undertaking issued by the Dean of Students on July 7, which mandates that PhD scholars seeking hostel extension must specify their submission date and accept that such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, subject to room availability and humanitarian grounds.

The JNUSU is also demanding the reinstatement of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Examination ( JNUEE ), arguing that its replacement by a UGC-NET-based admission system undermines the university's inclusive academic ethos. Meanwhile, the university in its circular also noted that the Delhi High Court had upheld penalties imposed on the students by the Proctorial Board in previous matters, reinforcing that all stakeholders must comply with the court-mandated decisions. The administration has called for cooperation from all parties, stating that the clarification was issued with the approval of the "Competent Authority".