A day after the JNU made attendance mandatory for students registered in all programmes from winter session 2018, the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s teacher’s body wrote to the five-member attendance committee opposing the move. The JNU teachers’ association (JNUTA) reiterated its allegations that the decision was taken without due deliberation, is arbitrary and is trying to “manufacture a problem where none exists.” The committee is supposed to lay down the attendance guidelines. For the first time since its inception, JNU has made attendance mandatory from the next semester set to begin in January for all regular registered students. This would apply to all undergraduate, postgraduate and research programme students. “There is no pernicious tendency towards absenteeism in JNU students at any level... We believe that the motive is what has become routine since February 2016- the defamation of JNU, and its student and teacher communities,”The Vice chancellor of the university did not respond to HT’s requests for comments.

Source: Hindustan Times December 28, 2017 16:18 UTC