NEW DELHI, October 13: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has issued a notice to Students’ Union president Aditi Mishra, asking her to appear before a proctorial committee on October 22 in connection with allegations of misconduct with security personnel and damage to campus property.
The notice, issued on October 9, directs Mishra, a PhD student, to attend a hearing at 3 pm in the university’s administrative building and present her explanation regarding the allegations.
According to the notice, the Chief Proctor’s office received a complaint accusing Mishra of misbehaving with and manhandling security personnel, as well as breaking glass panes at the main gate of the Inter Hall Administration (IHA) building and a window on September 8.
The university has asked her to bring any documents or other evidence she intends to submit in her defence. It has also warned that the proceedings may be decided in her absence if she fails to attend the scheduled hearing.
The notice further refers to an earlier university order dated February 2, under which Mishra was rusticated and declared out of bounds from the campus. She has been instructed to report to the security office at the north gate at 2.30 pm on October 22, from where security personnel will escort her to the Chief Proctor’s office.
Meanwhile, JNU students have claimed that around 10 to 12 other students received similar notices over their alleged involvement in a protest organised on September 8. However, the total number of notices issued could not be independently verified.
The university administration had not issued an immediate response to the development.
The latest action comes as members of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union continue their hunger strike over several demands. These include the withdrawal of rustication orders against union office-bearers, the resumption of the JNU Entrance Examination (JNUEE) and the restoration of the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH).
The dispute has added to tensions between the student body and the university administration, with the hunger strike continuing alongside demands for changes in the institution’s disciplinary and academic policies.