Students of Jesus & Mary College (JMC), a prominent institution under Delhi University’s South Campus, staged a protest on November 30, alleging serious discrepancies in their semester-end exam marksheets and inaction by the college administration. The JMC students’ protest highlighted students’ grievances across the first, third, and fifth semesters; many claimed they were unfairly marked “Essential Repeat” (ER) in all or multiple subjects due to administrative errors.
The JMC students’ protest, which saw students gathering in front of the administration building, called attention to the lack of resolution for an issue that has persisted for over a year. Despite numerous appeals and assurances, the students allege that the administration has failed to correct their mark sheets, leaving them unfairly labelled as repeaters.
The problem dates back to last year’s odd semester examinations when many students were reportedly awarded ERs in all their subjects. Stuti Mishra, a second-year student and protestor, described the ordeal. “In last year’s exams, we were given ER in all our subjects. When we approached the college administration, we were told that this was due to a glitch and that they would rectify it soon. However, we waited for a year, and nothing of that sort happened.”
The students say they were asked to follow a lengthy application process to seek corrections but have yet to receive any clear updates. The situation escalated when, on November 29, the administration instructed affected students to appear for re-examinations starting December 8, leaving them no choice but to protest.
A protestor, Rani Rajput, alleged that the problem stemmed from the college administration’s failure to send internal assessment marks to Delhi University. “When we approached DU, we were told that the college administration had not sent the marks for our internal exams, which is why we received ER,” she claimed. Students also fear that the ER tag would unfairly label them as repeaters, tarnishing their academic records.
“If we appear for re-exams, our marksheets will reflect that we failed to clear the exams on our first attempt. This is not our fault, but the administration’s,” Rani added. The students further accused the administration of exploiting the situation for monetary gain. With re-examination fees set at ₹400 per paper, students with backlogs in multiple subjects face a significant financial burden. “Each student has backlogs in one, two, or even all seven subjects,” said Stuti. “It feels like the college is using this situation to extract money from us.”
One of the most frustrating aspects for the students was the lack of communication from the administration. “After we applied for corrections, we were constantly told to wait for Delhi University’s response. But now we are being forced to appear for re-exams,” said Swati Sharma, another protestor.
Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, the site witnessed heavy deployment of state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Protestors reported that officers attempted to persuade them to vacate the area, even bringing vans in anticipation of detaining students if the situation escalated.
“We were sitting in protest from 10 in the morning till 4 in the evening. Nobody from the administration, let alone the principal, addressed us,” Stuti said. She added that teachers present at the JMC students’ protest were primarily focused on convincing students to end the agitation and take up the matter during a meeting scheduled for Monday, December 2.
Students expressed dismay at what they perceived as a lack of accountability and transparency from the college administration. “Our Teachers-in-Charge were not present, and our Class Representatives were warned against helping us,” alleged Swati. This lack of support has further fuelled student anger and mistrust.
The protest concluded at 4 pm, following discussions between students, teachers, and the Delhi Police. It was agreed that representatives would meet with the college principal, Prof. Sandra Joseph, on December 2 to address the issue formally.
As one of Delhi University’s prestigious colleges, JMC now faces mounting pressure to resolve the crisis promptly and restore students’ faith in its administration. For the affected students, the protest is a step toward justice, driven by their determination to hold the college accountable for what they call an avoidable and unjust ordeal.
