JNU students who have not yet registered for the new academic year have been asked by the Delhi High Court to do so under the old fee, even as it sought response from the university on the plea of JNU Students’ Union that has challenged the decision to amend the hostel manual.

A Bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued notices to the Union HRD Ministry and the UGC. The plea, filed by JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh and office-bearers Saket Moon, Satish Chandra Yadav and Md Danish, challenged the minutes of the Inter Hostel Administration (IHA) issued on October 28, last year, jurisdiction of the High Level Committee constituted on November 24 and recommendations made by it.

The petition sought directions to quash the Draft Hostel Manual “illegally approved by the IHA as the decisions taken by the IHA are malafide, arbitrary and illegal and adversely affect the students”.

It claimed the decisions to bring about amendments in the hostel manual are contrary to provisions of the JNU Act, 1966, Statutes, Ordinances and the Hostel Manual.

“The amendments include reducing JNUSU representation in IHA, increased rates as applicable to hostel residents and also brought amendments to  clauses of the Hostel Manual adversely affecting reserved category students in the University,” the plea submitted.

Earlier, the hostel room fee was hiked by Rs 10 and Rs 20 for double and single-occupancy rooms respectively.

The rent for all students, including those with Junior Research Fellowship, Senior Research Fellowship and other equivalent scholarships or fellowships, for single and double-seater rooms has been hiked to Rs 600 and Rs 300 per month.

The rent for Below Poverty Line (BPL) category students for double and single-seater rooms has been increased to Rs 150 and Rs 300 per month respectively.

Earlier, there was no utility and service charge, but now the university will charge BPL students Rs 500 and other students Rs 1,000 for the same.

The JNUSU had also sought directions to restrain the university from registering students for the new term on the basis of the new fee structure through its circular for registration in Winter Semester-2020.