The Jawaharlal Nehru University has made 75% attendance compulsory for students of all courses and has asked teachers to mark attendance with signature of students on a sheet that is to be submitted to the centre office everyday. On Friday, the JNUSU will hold a protest against the move.
The decision was taken by a committee constituted to frame guidelines on attendance system. The university had in December announced the attendance will be made compulsory and that a committee was formed to frame the guidelines. The students’ union and teachers association have been critical of the move and have called for boycotting the system.
In a circular issued on Wednesday, the university said, “for all part-time programme, BA, MA, MSc, MTech, MPH, PG Diploma, and MPhil, and PhD course/work, a minimum of 75% attendance in a course is mandatory for appearing in end semester examination of that course”.
The circular said if a student is absent on medical grounds then minimum 60% attendance will suffice for the student to be allowed to sit for the examination. But the student needs to get the medical documents certified and verified by chief medical officer at JNU’s health center.
MPhil and PhD students will have to get prior approval from their supervisors, chairperson of the concerned center and competent authority for absence from university to pursue academic work like field work, seminar, conferences, work-shop, training programme.
“For MPhil and PhD students, at least two contact sessions with the supervisor is mandatory. A total leave of 30 days in an academic year is allowed with permission of the supervisor. The leave, however, will be part of their tenure of MPhil or PhD programme. On all other days, the student will sign the attendance register,” the circular said.
The university has circulated a sample of the attendance sheet that teachers will have complete for each lecture, practical and laboratory work. “The attendance sheet will be submitted by the teacher on the same day to the centre or school office. At the end of each month, the center or school will put up a notice showing the monthly attendance of the students,” the circular said.
It also said that for interaction session of MPhil and PhD students, the supervisor will maintain a record and submit it to the center or school at the end of a semester.