The North East Students’ Forum (NESF) staged a silent protest during the inauguration ceremony of Barak Hostel, on April 7, Monday. The protest was organised to expressed the Forum’s resentment against the remarks made by the University Administration and subsequent hostel allotment.

“During the protest, the Vice Chancellor (VC) of JNU, Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit made it very clear that there is no space for reservation for NE students in Barak Hostel. “To quote her words “We (JNU) cannot reserve any hostel…otherwise we refuse to take the hostel…and make it into an administrative block..JNU follows the Constitution of India…no separation of any identity in this campus.”  We would like to remind the VC that reservation is a constitutional provision provided as a form of affirmative action to support disadvantaged communities. The clauses for reservations are an integral part of the Indian Constitution, and are the foundation on which the ethos of educational institutions have been built upon,” stated the NESF in a press release issued.

Following the ceremony, the Dean of Students (DoS) is said to have given verbal assurance that the first allotment list for the hostel would not be released before a meeting with the concerned students from the North-Eastern region. However, the Forum claimed that the students from the North East have been betrayed by JNU administration with the DoS releasing the first allotment list for female PhD students on April 8, 2025.

“This unprecedented move of the JNU administration is extremely disrespectful to all JNU students of the North-Eastern region and is a gross testament to the ways in which students from the region have yet again been marginalised and ignored by the system. This is after all JNU student bodies and parties, including the JNUSU, have side-lined the JNU students from North-East during their demand for the opening of the Barak Hostel, despite being fully aware of the agreement between the North Eastern Council (NEC) and the JNU administration about the reservation of seats in the hostel for students from North East. This erasure of racial and regional minorities is a scathing reminder of how the JNUSU and the larger student community does not wish to recognise NESF as a legitimate student body,” asserted the Forum.

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In this regard, the NESF, JNU, has made the following demands:

1. A rollback of the first allotment list which was uploaded on the website on 8 April 2025. It urged the JNU administration to limit the first round of allocations to only 1/5^th of the total seats in Barak Hostel.
2. Urged the VC and the DoS to address their concerns and demands of ensuring 75% reservation for North-East students as per the MoU signed.

3. Transparency and fairness through the release of the MoU and all relevant documents signed between them and the NEC & DoNER.
4. Ensuring the availability of food from the region through the hiring of cooks from the North East or those familiar with the cuisine. “Access to familiar food can serve as a preliminary stepping stone to help students adapt more smoothly to the challenges and difficulties of alienation and cultural shock and foster a greater sense of belonging and inclusivity.”
5. Provide an official provision for students from the North East residing in other hostels to apply for transfer to Barak Hostel.
6. Allocation of hostel seat to students of North Eastern region in the first allocation list, regardless of their rank or marks in the entrance exam.
7. Official assurances, in a written format.

“We acknowledge the plight of the dormitory students and their right to immediate allotment of Hostel Seats. However, our demand is for JNU administration to honour what we have been promised – 75% reservation for students from the North-East. The hostel has been funded because of the plight of students from the North East, especially keeping in mind the need for a safe space for students who are vulnerable to racial discrimination throughout the city.  The cause for Barak hostel has instead been picked up by the JNUSU and other student political parties without consultation with students from the North-East, completely disregarding the existence of NESF,” highlighted the forum.