JNU rusticates five PhD scholars for vandalising facial recognition gates
New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration has rusticated five PhD scholars for two academic semesters due to their demonstrations against the installation of facial recognition technology gates at the Dr. B R Ambedkar Central Library. These students include all current JNUSU office bearers and the union's former president.
Proctorial orders issued on February 2 declared JNUSU president Aditi Mishra, vice-president Gopika Babu, general secretary Sunil Yadav, joint secretary Danish Ali, and former JNUSU president Nitish Kumar “out of bounds” from the campus with immediate effect, as reported by Maktoob Media. The order bars them from entering academic spaces, hostels, libraries and other university facilities. Each of the five students have also been fined ₹20,000, payable within 10 days. The administration has also warned other students against providing them shelter on campus which would result in disciplinary action.
The students were rusticated following a disagreement over the installation of facial recognition technology at the central library. Students had protested against the installation in August 2024 and said the move questions the students right to privacy and consultation. They questioned the ₹20 lakh spent on monitoring infrastructure, in contrast to the library's inadequate seats and damaged furniture.
After continous protests, the gates were removed and students were assured that any future decision would be taken by an independent committee with student representation. Without students' consultation, the facial recognition gates were reinstalled during the JNUSU election period in November 2025. The students questioned the move accusing the administration of breaking its earlier promises.
After failing to reach an agreement with the acting chief librarian, student leaders removed the gates on November 21, 2025, disassembling equipment while shouting slogans calling it a form of protest against an imposed and intrusive system. The administration called the act as vandalism and destruction of public property.
Apart from the five students who were rusticated, proctorial inquiries were initiated against others, and at least seven students were fined ₹19,000 each.
In a statement, the JNUSU termed the action a targeted crackdown on elected student representatives and said the rustication orders undermines campus democracy, arguing that disciplinary rules cannot be used to curb the collective voice of students.
Criticising the administration’s decision, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association called it an attack on democratic rights within the university. In a statement issued on February 3, the association said the punitive action against student leaders was part of a broader pattern of suppressing protest and dissent.
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
