JNU has problem of 'freeloaders,' says Vice Chancellor Pandit
Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, the Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), has publicly acknowledged the issue of "freeloaders" on campus. The term "freeloaders" refers to students overstaying their welcome and unauthorized guests exploiting university facilities. In a recent discussion with PTI editors, Pandit confirmed that the administration is actively working to resolve this problem.
Pandit discusses escalation of 'freeloader' issue
During the discussion, the 61-year-old JNU alumna revealed that the freeloader issue is not new but has recently escalated. She reminisced about her student days when there were fewer overstaying students. "When I was there, we had many students who stayed over but the number of such students was very low...JNU creates certain illusions too...certain students...want everything free and subsidised...even the Lok Sabha canteen is costlier than the JNU canteen but in our times, teachers were very strict," she said.
Guests are either preparing for UPSC or other exams: VC
She further stated that there are unauthorized guests on campus who are not even JNU students but have come here to stay. Those guests are either preparing for the UPSC or other exams. "For them, JNU is the cheapest place to stay... in southwest Delhi, where can you get such an accommodation with greenery, spread over 2,000 acres and with such dhabas and cheap food," she added.
JNU administration implements measures to curb 'freeloading'
To tackle the freeloader issue, Pandit disclosed that her administration is implementing measures to curb this behavior. The administration has tightened hostel rules, limiting student stays to five years and making ID cards mandatory. She noted that the institution is also encouraging students to report because some of them dislike these outsiders. The issue was also raised following the 2016 sedition controversy over "anti-national" slogans uttered at the university, which resulted in the arrest of then-students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar.
JNU's 'freeloader' issue sparks controversy and criticism
In 2019, the university faced criticism when it revealed outstanding mess dues from hostel residents totaling over ₹2.79 crore. At the time, the students' union described the action as an attempt to intimidate students. The same year, the university also saw massive protests when it introduced a fee hike. The university later rolled back the increase in hostel fees after massive protests by students.
