The university had issued the Chief Proctor Office manual, which has faced opposition from students, last November.
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Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Friday appointed Sudhir Kumar, a professor at its School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies, as the new chief proctor. He replaces N. Janardhana Raju, a professor at the School of Environmental Sciences who has been elevated as the dean of the school.
The move comes in the backdrop of the student backlash against the Chief Proctor Office (CPO) manual released by Mr. Raju last November. It was approved by JNU’s Executive Council and stipulates curbs on protests as well as fines for several disciplinary offences.
Claimin that the chief proctor was changed due to the students’ united struggle, the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) said it was not satisfied with the action and emphasised its demand for withdrawing the manual.
JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree D. Pandit said the students’ demands have nothing to do with the appointment. “There is nothing in the CPO manual that is new. The fines for various disciplinary offences already existed,” she added.
The manual orders a fine of up to ₹20,000 for staging a dharna on campus and ₹10,000 for raising “anti-national” slogans. The JNUSU has called it an attempt to “crack down on dissent on campus” and “do away with the democratic culture of the university”.