In a historic mandate by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students, who participated in the students unions’ referendum on the compulsory attendance initiative, around 98 per cent voted against the move.

The results of the referendum were announced on Thursday against the 75 per cent compulsory attendance initiative taken by the JNU administration.

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A total of 4,456 votes were polled and 4,388 of them voted against the move, while 41 students voted in support and 27 were invalid, according to a statement issued by the students’ body.

There are around 8,000 registered students studying in JNU and nearly 6,000 of them stay on campus.

JNUSU president Geeta Kumari said, “JNU stands for its own time-tested methods of classroom participation, academic engagement and accountability.”

“The methods including continuous evaluation of classroom performance, presentations, assignments, tests and tutorials, supervisorial and departmental progress reports for research scholars, which have achieved widely recognised excellence for JNU — and rejects the administration’s mindless imposition of forcing students to sign compulsory attendance sheets,” she said.

Last month, in a circular, the JNU’s Assistant Registrar (Evaluation) Sajjan Singh, based on recommendations of the compulsory attendance committee, had said that for students of BA, MA, MSc, MTech, PG diploma, MPhil, Phd and all part-time programmes, a minimum of 75 per cent attendance in a course was mandatory for appearing in the end-semester examination.

“If a student of part-time programme, BA, MA, MSc, MTech, PG diploma, Mphil and Phd course work is absent on valid medical grounds, a minimum 60 per cent attendance will suffice,” it said.

The committee, whose recommendations have been accepted, has also said at least two contact/interaction sessions with the supervisor in a month are mandatory.

“MPhil and PhD students who are absent from the university on valid academic grounds must have prior approval from supervisor/chairperson of the centre concerned and the competent authority,” the circular had said.

The MPhil and PhD students have also been granted 30 days leave in an academic year with the supervisor’s permission.

“An attendance sheet which has been attached with the circular will be completed for each lecture/practical/lab by course instructor/teacher. The sheet will be submitted by the teacher on the same day at centre/school office,” according to the circular.

The centre/school office will maintain the attendance records and a copy of the sheets will be submitted every month, it added.

(With agency inputs)