Arunachal MLA urges Centre to address JNU hostel disparities

Ninong Ering, Member of the Legislative Assembly representing Pasighat West in Arunachal Pradesh, has written a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, highlighting alleged discrimination faced by Northeastern students in the allotment process of Barak Hostel at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.

In his communication, Ering expressed serious concerns over the reported lack of transparency and fairness in the hostel allocation system, which he claims has led to the exclusion of several students from marginalized communities of the Northeast. The Barak Hostel, established with assistance from the North Eastern Council (NEC), was originally envisioned to provide preferential accommodation for students from the region. However, according to Ering, deviations from this core purpose have left many eligible students feeling overlooked and disheartened.

Quoting representations made by student groups and individuals, Ering urged the Union Minister to initiate immediate dialogue with the JNU administration to ensure the following:

Reinforcement of a transparent and equitable hostel allotment mechanism aligned with the original objective of the Barak Hostel.

Prompt redressal of grievances raised by affected Northeastern students.

Creation of robust monitoring systems to prevent recurrence of such disparities in future student-related policies.

Emphasizing the historical underrepresentation of Northeastern students in premier academic spaces, Ering remarked that such exclusions only widen the socio-educational gap. He appealed for urgent intervention to uphold the values of equity and inclusion in India’s higher education institutions.