The Hindu : New Delhi News : JNU students launch stir

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Saturday, Sep 19, 2009
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JNU students launch stir

Parul Sharma

For better health facilities on the university campus

JNU administration refuses to accept any responsibility of recent deaths
Students make another representation to Vice-Chancellor B. B. Bhattacharya

NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union has launched a movement in protest against the University administration’s “insensitivity” towards providing health care facilities on the campus.

On Thursday night, a march was organised on the campus which was followed by a relay hunger-strike. On Friday, 13 students from different schools on the campus took part in the strike.

The JNU students are protesting against two deaths -- that of a student and a teacher visiting the campus for a refresher course --reported in the past few days.

“When confronted with the recent deaths, the JNU administration has refused to accept any responsibility. They claim that the fault lies with the University Grants Commission which has refused to sanction funds,” said JNUSU president Sandeep Singh.

Meanwhile, the classmates of Aishvarya Agrawal – an M.Tech. student of School of Information Technology at JNU who succumbed to an asthma attack last week -- made another representation to Vice-Chancellor B. B. Bhattacharya on Friday.

“In our letter, we have made a few suggestions regarding round- the-clock health facilities on our campus. The administration can collect some money from the students, staff and teachers till the time the UGC grants these facilities. We have also submitted signatures of 1,868 students in support of our demands for 24X7 emergency facilities with on-duty doctors at the health centre and two proper ambulances,” said Vikram Singh, a research scholar at SIT.

“The truth is that we are still unprepared to deal with any kind of emergency situation. There is no circular from any authority giving the telephone numbers of doctors on the campus or any such person. The administration should provide a campus-wide emergency number at the security control room that can be used by anyone in the University in emergency situations,” he added.

For its part, the administration has set up a committee headed by the Associate Dean of Students to suggest measures to strengthen the facilities at its health centre.

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