AsJawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) kickstarts its PhD admissions for the academic year2025–26, a storm is starting on campus. While the online application portal went live this week, the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) declared an indefinite hunger strike, calling the admission process“discriminatory and undemocratic.”
The university's decision to disqualify applicants who took theJune 2025 UGC-NET exam is at the heart of the dispute. Despite their academic qualifications, these students—many of whom are recent postgraduates—are excluded from the PhD admissionseligibility pool.
Adding fuel to the fire, JNU has continued with its decision to scrap the university’s own entrance exam(JNUEE)for PhD courses. Instead, it now relies entirely on UGC-NET orCSIR-NET scores (70%) and viva performance (30%).The students’ union argues that this approach limits access, especially for those from marginalized backgrounds, and reduces opportunities for fair evaluation.
“The university has ignored the overwhelming demand from students to reinstate the JNUEE. Over 90% of students voted in favor of it in a recent referendum, but the administration remains silent,” said Nitish Kumar, JNUSU President,who began the hunger strike on June 26 along with other student leaders.
The union has also raised concerns about eviction notices served to student activists and the threat of disciplinary actions, demanding their immediate withdrawal.
The PhD admissions timeline is proceeding in spite of the protests:
- Applications are open fromJune 26 to July 7
- Viva invites will be sent byJuly 18, with interviews scheduled betweenJuly 25–31
- Thefirst merit list will be released onAugust 11, followed by document verification and further rounds throughSeptember 30
Students' support for the hunger strike is growing, and the administration is feeling pressured to have a conversation. Whether the protest leads to a policy rethink or continues to escalate remains to be seen.
