JNU was awarded ‘Best University’ for its good works, not for Hostage Drama, says HRD Minister

New Delhi, March 28, 2017: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) got the best university award for its good work and not for the controversy last year during which the Vice Chancellor was taken hostage'. Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar remarked this statement while discussing a bill in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

"Recently JNU was given best university award. This was not given for making the Vice Chancellor hostage but for the good works done by the university. These good works don't come into the limelight," Javadekar said in the Lok Sabha while concluding the debate on the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016.

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Javadekar's comments came after Congress pioneer Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the Minister's reference of vacancies in JNU.

Pointing out to the vacancies of professors in JNU, Javadekar said: "There are over 100 vacancies for SCs/STs in JNU while around 25 posts of disabled professors are vacant since long ago."

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Karge objected to it by stating that it's not only in the JNU, but in many central universities, teaching posts are lying vacant for many years. It's the duty of the minister to respond to such obligations.

"I know why you are raking up JNU only," Kharge said.

Last year in October, Students of JNU had staged protests outside the administrative Block, forcing the Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar and Rectors to remain confined inside the building, over the disappearance of student Najeeb Ahmed.

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Earlier, three of its students were arrested on sedition charges in connection with an event on the campus during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Responding to members' queries, Javadekar said that vacancies in universities are a serious issue and there are many reasons for it.

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"There are vacancies in central universities, state universities and also in private universities. We are trying to constitute a dynamic platform where all vacancies will be exhibited on our website," he said.

The Minister said that for filling up the vacancies the government needs to create an atmosphere where students prefer to be teachers and professors.

"We need to create interest among students so they could prefer this profession," he said.

Javadekar said that whenever he visited any university, he always asked students: "Who wants to be a teacher? Who wants to be a professor?"

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"Recently I visited an IIT where I asked the same question to students. I was very happy when majority of students said they want to join the teaching line," he said.

He also expressed concern over the cases of suicides on campuses.

"Even a single case of suicide in campuses is unfortunate," the minister said.

-prepared by Ashish Srivastava of NewsGram Twitter @PhulRetard