As protests continue unabated at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) over the proposed fee hike, it has come to light that its Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar has been occupying two official accommodations for the last four years, The Telegraph reported on Monday, 13 January.
The accommodations in question are a house on JNU’s campus, where he became the vice chancellor in 2016, as well as one in IIT Delhi, where he continues to teach as a professor of electrical engineering.
As far as the rules regarding accommodation at IIT Delhi are concerned, they allow professors to keep the house only for one year if they are serving as administrative heads of another centrally-funded institution, the report added.
However, this rule came into force only in 2017 and is not being applied retrospectively, following opposition from those who might have been affected by it.
Monthly Rent Just Rs 1,200
The rule prior to 2017 allowed the IIT-Delhi faculty to retain their accommodation for five years if they were serving as VCs of central varsities.
According to the report, Kumar pays a monthly rent of Rs 1,200 for his accommodation at IIT Delhi.
Notably, out of around 500 teachers, the institute is able to provide accommodation just for around 300 of them. Additionally, It has taken around 10 private residencies on rent, and the teachers who do not get accommodation from the institute are given house rent allowance.
Tensions over the proposed hostel fee-hike have been been simmering at JNU since November last year. On Monday, 13 January, students and teachers of the university boycotted classes amid a standoff with the administration over the issue. Violence had also erupted at the campus on 5 January, following a protest over the fee-hike.
Teachers and students have been demanding the sacking of VC Jagadesh Kumar.
(With inputs from The Telegraph and PTI.)
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