Northeast students demand 75 percent reservation in JNU's Barak Hostel

The North East Students' Forum (NESF) has demanded 75 per cent reservation for students from the region in Jawaharlal Nehru University's newly inaugurated Barak Hostel The forum has alleged that the university has reneged on commitments made during its construction with the North Eastern Council (NEC) and the Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).

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There was no immediate response from the JNU administration on the issue. The students said Barak Hostel, funded by NEC, was envisioned as a culturally sensitive and secure space for students from the eight northeastern states.

However, the first allotment list released by the university on April 8 allotted only five out of 88 seats to students from the region."This hostel has been turned into a political showpiece without addressing the fundamental reason it was built. Our demand is not new, it is a reiteration of what was agreed upon," the NESF said in a statement after a silent protest during the hostel's inauguration on April 7.

Some students, however, have opposed the idea of reservation in a hostel, saying it goes against the inclusive ethos of JNU.