Jawaharlal Nehru University faces allegations of reservation violations

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has alleged that Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) violated reservation norms for marginalized groups during its PhD admissions for the 2026-27 academic session. The organization claims the university's admission prospectus failed to provide the prescribed number of seats for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD) candidates.

According to the SFI, JNU advertised 711 regular seats across three channels: UGC-NET, UGC-NET-JRF, and GATE. The group alleges a shortfall of approximately 15 seats for ST candidates, noting that only 38 seats were advertised instead of the required 53. For SC candidates, the SFI claims 103 seats were advertised against a requirement of approximately 107. Additionally, the group stated that only 17 seats were earmarked for PwBD candidates, compared to a minimum requirement of around 36.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) reportedly issued a notice to the JNU registrar on October 8 seeking details regarding the complaint. After the university allegedly failed to respond by the October 23 deadline, the Commission issued an ultimatum on October 27 requiring a response within seven days. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has also reportedly taken cognizance of the matter.