Over the past two months, marginalised students of Jawaharlal University (JNU) have been protesting against the implementation of the UGC Gazette which was passed in May 2016. The Gazette made interview the sole criterion for selection of students in P.hD and M.Phil, a move that will drastically reduce the intake of students from the Dalit, Muslim, Adivasi and OBC communities. This, despite the Abdul Nafey committee, constituted by JNU administration, saying that the Viva Voce weightage should be reduced from 30 to 15 to give a better chance to marginalised students and end discrimination against them.
Dileep Yadav, who was one of the 9 JNU students suspended for their protests against the Academic Council meeting which passed the Gazette on December 23, sat on a hunger strike to register his grievances. Yadav, a member of United OBC Forum, spoke with Twocircles.net correspondent Pritam Singh Tinna.