JNU Collected Rs 18 Lakh In Fines From Students In Last 6 Years, Reveals RTI Reply
Jawaharlal Nehru University collected over Rs 18 lakh in fines from students over six years, mainly for protests and norm violations, nearly four times the annual undergraduate fees
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has collected a total fine of more than Rs 18 lakh from students in the last six years. This fine has been imposed due to violation of university norms and participation in protests. This information came to light in a RTI reply received by Times Of India. This amount is almost four times the fees paid by undergraduate students at JNU every year.
JNU is a publicly funded university, and the annual fee for most undergraduate programmes here is just Rs 410. However, strict rules have been imposed on protests at the university. In 2024, the university enrolled 1,209 students in 10 undergraduate programmes, and the total fees received from these programmes were around Rs 4.95 lakh.
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The disciplinary rules implemented by JNU have imposed several stringent sanctions, especially by the Chief Proctorial Office (CPO). The manual, issued in December 2023, provided for fines for protests, “anti-national" slogans and sit-ins in restricted areas. The amount of fines on students can be up to Rs 20,000, which is part of the university’s long-standing controversy.
According to the RTI reply, fines of Rs 3.5 lakh were imposed in 2019, Rs 40,000 in 2020 and Rs 3.8 lakh in 2022. When the CPO manual was implemented in 2023, the fine amount reached Rs 5.5 lakh. Last year, the university collected a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh. JNU students had protested against the hostel fee hike in 2019, after which the university imposed fines on several students. However, in 2023, the Vice-Chancellor announced that no fines would be imposed against students who participated in the 2019 protests.
As per JNU rules, students who do not pay the fines may face expulsion or other disciplinary action, including being barred from classes and being prohibited from participating in university activities. The JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) has demanded the repeal of the CPO manual and has also gone on a 17-day hunger strike against it.
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