NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) has released a comprehensive report, “JNU: The State of the University,” which paints a grim picture of a deepening governance crisis within the esteemed institution.
The report raises alarms about a severe erosion of academic values, a troubling decline in the representation of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, widespread irregularities in faculty recruitment processes, and a drastic reduction in both research admissions and overall academic expenditure. JNUTA argues that these alarming trends signify a significant departure from JNU’s founding principles of academic freedom, inclusivity, and democratic governance, moving instead towards an overly centralized administrative model heavily influenced by the Vice Chancellor.
As of now, the university has not issued any official statement in response to these serious allegations.
The JNUTA report asserts that over the past decade, JNU’s academic focus has dangerously shifted, becoming what they describe as a “vice chancellor-centric” institution. The document states, “In the last one decade, the terms ‘governance’ and ‘leadership’ have been turned on their heads to acquire rather ominous meanings. From being a ‘public’ institution in which the quest for knowledge thrives, the university has been steadily pushed in the direction of being reduced to being an expression of the vice chancellor’s persona.”
Further concerns highlighted include the abandonment of the long-established system of rotating chairpersons and deans by seniority. The report notes, “The practice of discretionary appointments continues to be operational in JNU,” leading to several experienced professors being overlooked in the appointment process.
Regarding faculty recruitment, the report points out that out of 326 vacancies for which selection committees were formed between February 2022 and August 2025, only 184 positions were filled. A staggering 133 posts were left vacant due to “no suitable candidate” being found, raising questions about the fairness and effectiveness of the recruitment process.
The decline in student diversity is also a major concern. Between 2021-22 and 2024-25, the number of SC students plummeted from 1,500 to 1,143, and ST students dropped from 741 to 545. These figures indicate that the university is failing to meet mandated reservation levels for these communities.
Finally, the report underscores a significant decrease in research enrolments, which fell from 5,432 in 2016-17 to just 3,286 in 2024-25. Academic expenditure also saw a drastic cut, nearly halving from Rs 38.37 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 19.29 crore in 2024-25. These financial and academic reductions, according to JNUTA, severely impact the university’s standing and future.