Delhi Newsline: Naveed Iqbal: Tuesday, November 29, 2011.
New Delhi: The demand for a students’ union election at Jamia Millia Islamia took a new turn, when through an RTI reply, the university said that there is no ban on student’s election on the campus. “The Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has had students’ union whenever the atmosphere in the campus was conducive,” the reply read.
It added that: “The Committee of senior professors reviews the situation from time to time”. However, the university refused to disclose the names of professors in this committee citing Section 8(a) & (g) of the RTI Act-2005, according to which the disclosure would endanger the life or physical safety of any person. Jamia Vice-Chancellor Najeeb Jung said due to regular incidents of violence both inside and outside the campus, the time was not right for conducting students’ elections.
Jamia does not have any grievance redressal cell, which is compulsory according to UGC manuals. Jamia PIO has also denied to give its position on Lyngdoh recommendations, citing the question as “opinion based”, which does not come within meaning of “information”.
Jamia students annually pay a “student’s union fee” to the university without having any such body for the past six years. “The fee charged has not been utilised for any purposes. It will be adjusted,” the RTI reply says.