Overstaying students, illegal guests: JNU has problem of 'freeloaders', says Vice Chancellor

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has a problem of "freeloaders" - both overstaying students and illegal guests, said its Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit. Pandit said she has issued strict instructions to the hostel administration not to allow any student to stay in hostels beyond five years. 

"You are absolutely right, we have a problem of freeloaders," she said when asked about allegations of JNU having seen freeloaders stay on campus at the cost of taxpayer money.

She said this was there even when she was a student, but it had increased now. "When I was there, we had many students who stayed over but the number of such students was very low," she said in an interview with PTI. 

"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. 

"The professor supervising my research told me if you don't complete it in four-and-a-half years, you are out. I knew he wouldn't sign my fellowship extension...I think this has changed over the years. Certain professors permitted such extensions and that's how the number has gone up today," Pandit said. 

Pandit pursued her MPhil and PhD from JNU from 1985-1990 after finishing her master's degree from Presidency College in Chennai. "There are also people on campus who are illegal guests, who are not even students of JNU but come here and stay. They are either preparing for 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 asked. 

Pandit said the administration was now trying to bring this down to a large extent. "It is very difficult for us to get into the rooms...we still do it while sticking to the norms. We also appeal to the good sense of the students and ask them to at least inform if they are bringing a guest." 

"We have also tightened the hostel administration to not allow any student to stay beyond five years. We are now making ID cards compulsory...we tell students to carry ID cards at all times and produce them when asked for. We are asking students to report as well since there are students who don't like these outsiders," she added. 

In 2019, JNU issued a list of pending mess dues from hostel residents amounting to over Rs 2.79 crore, creating an uproar from various quarters. 

(With inputs from PTI)