Digvijaya Singh raises concerns over social justice decline at JNU in RS

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday raised concerns in the Rajya Sabha over what he described as a weakening of the social justice framework at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Speaking during Zero Hour, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister alleged that the university was straying from its founding ideals of inclusivity, national integration and democratic values. He pointed to what he called a noticeable decline in representation from marginalised communities and irregularities in faculty recruitment processes.

Singh highlighted data from a teachers’ association report, claiming that enrolment of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students had dropped by around 25 per cent over the past three years. He said this trend raised serious questions about the institution’s commitment to equitable access in higher education.

He also expressed concern over faculty hiring practices, stating that a significant proportion of reserved posts remained unfilled. According to him, out of 326 positions for which selection panels were formed, more than 40 per cent resulted in candidates being deemed unsuitable, with many of these vacancies falling under reserved categories.

In addition, he flagged delays in faculty promotions, noting that dozens of cases had exceeded the prescribed timelines. Such backlogs, he argued, were affecting academic progression and limiting the university’s ability to supervise doctoral research effectively.

Singh further referred to remarks attributed to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, suggesting they reflected a lack of sensitivity towards issues of caste discrimination and social equity.

Calling for corrective measures, he urged the government to ensure strict implementation of reservation policies and uphold constitutional commitments to inclusivity, not only at JNU but across all central universities.

With PTI inputs