THE Jawaharlal Nehru University is known widely for its quality performance. JNU has been known to rank high in assessments carried by several accreditation bodies. In fact it received the highest ranking of A++ in the 2017 NAAC Accreditation. Adding further to its academic excellence is the unique character of JNU that boasts of quality education accessible to students belonging to the most deprived classes and social groups and a campus atmosphere where the most progressive ideas are upheld in everyday interactions.

THERE is a continuous attack on education and educational institutions today under the patronage of the BJP government at the centre. During the last three years, the attacks on democracy in campuses and attempts to crush the democratic cultures in educational institutions are among the most talked about and discussed developments. Attacks on JNU, HCU, FTII, IIT Madras etc, were highlighted throughout the nation, and featured prominently in media debates.

THE neo-liberal economic regime has turned the country’s employment scenario upside down. There are no longer regular government and non-government jobs. You have only contract workers, daily wage earners, casual workers, scheme workers, etc.In the 12-year rule of Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s employment scenario has undergone a complete change, and now even doctors, nurses, professors are working on contract basis.

THE Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is going to introduce a ranking system for Kendriya Vidyalayas in June next year, according to media reports. While the stated objective for the reported move is to “improve quality”, the ploy is to cut down on government spending and privatise school education. Educationists have warned against such a move. If private schools are later included in the ranking system, schools run and aided by governments may be left behind, which will ultimately encourage people to send their wards to private schools.

THOUSANDS of students from all over India marched under the banner of the Students’ Federation of India to the parliament on March 3, 2017, against the right-wing assaults led by the RSS-BJP-ABVP on education, democracy and social justice, and for a pro-people, pro-student education policy. The call for this march was given by the central executive committee of SFI in the wake of an unrelenting authoritarian assault on campuses and students in the past couple of years in the wake of the imposition of RSS’ agenda of Hindutva.