JNU Faculty and Students move court on GSCASH

JNUTA joins the JNU community in heaving a sigh of relief at the information, conveyed to it by the petitioners that a Writ Petition on the supersession of the GSCASH Rules & Procedures and the dissolution of the GSCASH was filed in the Delhi High Court today. The legal team is led by Ms. Indira Jaising, Sr. Advocate Supreme Court. Harsh Parashar of Srivastava Naved Parashar Partners.

The petitioners are three teachers and three students — Prof. Madhu Sahni, Prof. Rajat Dutta, Prof. Hemant Adlakha, Ritika Kar, Rituraj Sharma, and Sonam Goyal.

The prayers made in the Writ Petition are for the quashing of the Office Orders superseding the GSCASH by the ICC and the Registrar’s letter putting elections to GSCASH on hold.

As an urgent application, the petitioners have also asked for a stay on the operation of the supersession order and for a notice to JNU, directing it to preserve all records of GSCASH from 1999 to till date in consultation of GCASH to ensure authority of the paper. They have also asked for the court to allow the elections for student representatives scheduled for the 22.09.2017 to be held in accordance with law.

Counsel for the petitioners have written to JNU stating that matter will be mentioned for an early hearing and that until the matter is heard in court, the GSCASH records should be kept safely in the possession of GSCASH until a proper handover in accordance with law is effected.

The JNUTA congratulates the petitioners for taking on this onerous task of defending the GSCASH and assures them of all support in what is going to be an arduous battle with the UGC and JNU. It also requests women’s groups, LGBTQ groups, student organisations, and all progressive forces to raise their voice in support of the JNU GSCASH, this battle in court, and the relentless struggle that our university community is waging for over 18 months.

Ayesha Kidwai Pradeep Shinde