A significant decline in the number of female students and faculty at JNU, a report reveals.

The number of female students and Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe students at JNU has declined sharply over the past ten years, while academic expenditure and research activities have also declined.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), one of the country's premier educational institutions, has seen a steady decline in the number of female students over the past ten years. The JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) shared this information on Wednesday in its report, "State of the University" (October 2025 Update). According to the report, female students now comprise less than half of the university's total student population.

The report states that the number of female students at JNU has declined from 51.1% in 2016-17 to 43.1% now. This means that female students are now considered a minority at the university. JNUTA called this a serious sign of gender inequality and said that the university's previous efforts at social inclusion, which had been successful in increasing the number of female students, were now reversing.

Female faculty were also affected.

The number of female faculty has also declined. By March 31, 2025, only 208 of the total 700 faculty members were women, representing 29.7%. This figure is even lower than the figures for 2022 and 2016. JNUTA cited this as a cause for concern about the state of women's education and leadership at the university.

The report also stated that the decline in female student numbers could be due to the university's decision to discontinue its own entrance examinations and the removal of the "deprivation point system" for research programs. This system provided additional points to socially disadvantaged students to help them gain admission.

Furthermore, the safe environment for female students has also declined. In 2017, JNU's GSCASH (Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassment) was replaced by the ICC (Internal Complaints Committee). JNUTA alleges that the ICC is no longer an independent body but has become a part of the university administration. This has left female students feeling unsafe and has led to a decline in reporting of sexual harassment incidents.

Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Students Also Declined

The number of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students has also declined. In 2021-22, the number of SC students declined from 1,500 to 1,143. Similarly, the number of ST students declined from 741 to 545. Consequently, the share of SC students in the university has declined from 15% to 14.3%, and the share of ST students has declined from 7.4% to 6.8%, which is below the reserved percentage.

JNUTA has linked this decline to changes in admissions and administrative changes at the university. Entrance exams conducted through the National Testing Agency (NTA) and reduced university autonomy have impacted social inclusion.

A Decline in Academic Investment

The report also highlights a sharp decline in academic investment. JNU's academic expenditure, which was ₹302.8 million in 2015-16, fell to ₹192.9 million in 2024-25, representing a total reduction of 36.3%. Expenditure on seminars and workshops declined by 97.2%, laboratories by 76.3%, and fieldwork/conferences by 79.6%.

Meanwhile, the financial burden on students has increased. Despite the absence of entrance exams, the university compensated for its financial losses by charging higher fees from students and candidates. Income from academic fees increased from ₹24.08 million in 2015-16 to ₹85.653 million in 2024-25.

Research culture also affected.

According to the report, the research culture at the university has also weakened. While previously a large number of research scholars, they now outnumber undergraduate and postgraduate students. The number of research scholars was 5,432 in 2016-17, which has now declined to around 3,286.