JNU renews contract of campus security firm despite controversies

NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday said it has renewed the contract of Cyclops Security – a firm whose staff has been accused of mishandling student protesters and committing theft on the campus.

The JNU Teachers' Association and several student bodies have raised the demand of replacing the firm. "This is for information of all that w.e.f. 01.02.2023 at 0700 hours new Security Service Contract with Cyclops Security will start," the JNU administration said in a statement.

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"All new Civilian Security Guards will take over the duties from Ex-Serviceman officers Security Guards. All JNU Residents are, therefore, requested to cooperate with the new security guards," the notification added. The administration said that security is the collective responsibility of all residents and their active cooperation with the security staff is required for a safe and secure campus. Several incidents of theft on the campus have been reported in recent years.

JNUTA too highlighted the issue of increasing incidents of theft last year in a statement. "The Cyclops Security and Allied Services Pvt Ltd have to be held responsible for what can be described at best as their complete dereliction of duty to carry out the services they were hired for," JNUTA had said in a statement last year in March. Cyclops Security has been in charge of JNU's security since the time of the previous Vice-Chancellor, M Jagadesh Kumar.

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However, despite multiple thefts, the security firm has not been dismissed. Following the 2020 clashes on the campus, the security agency was accused of colluding with ABVP by allowing them to enter the premises of the University and attack staff and students.

On 5 January 2020, masked people armed with rods and sticks attacked several students and teachers and injured scores of them. After the incident, Jagadesh Kumar had said that the administration was in the process of appointing a new security agency.