The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) has removed a face recognition system from the Dr BR Ambedkar Library. Students successfully opposed the biometric system, citing concerns over privacy, data security, and restricted access to the library.
JNUSU stated the system’s removal resulted from sustained student opposition. This opposition challenged what students called attempts to compromise their rights and freedoms on campus.
Consultation Failures and Installation
Chief Librarian Manorama Tripathi oversaw the installation of the face recognition system. JNUSU reported that earlier assurances to form a committee and consult with students before final decisions were disregarded.
According to JNUSU, no committee was established, nor were discussions held with student representatives. The union characterized the administration’s assurances as a ‘delay tactic’ used while installation continued without student input.
The official JNUSU statement detailed how students received repeated requests to provide personal data for the system. These requests included emails implying student consent had already been granted for the system’s implementation.
JNUSU stated the administration presented the system as a permanent and unavoidable technological improvement. Chief Librarian Tripathi advocated for the setup without engaging with the student union regarding its potential impact on student rights or the campus environment.
Privacy Concerns and Infrastructure Needs
JNUSU General Secretary Sunil Yadav criticized the administration’s priorities. Yadav stated the face recognition system directly infringed upon student privacy.
He highlighted significant existing issues within the JNU library. These problems included inadequate seating capacity, broken furniture, and limited access to water facilities. The library also lacked a proper reading room, according to Yadav.
Yadav argued that the administration focused on implementing a face recognition system rather than addressing these fundamental infrastructure and amenity problems.
Protecting Open Access to the Library
Central to the student campaign was the principle of open access to the library. JNUSU asserts that a university library must remain accessible to all students, researchers, and the wider academic community.
The union pointed out that leading international academic institutions welcome visitors beyond their immediate campus. This approach supports the view that knowledge functions as a shared intellectual and cultural resource.
JNUSU clarified that a simple entry registration system is acceptable. Such a system helps track usage and plan facilities without imposing entry restrictions. However, a face recognition system introduces a new barrier.
The union stated that biometric identification dictates who is permitted entry and who is not. This process narrows access instead of widening it. JNUSU warned the system could disadvantage alumni and external researchers who rely on the library’s resources.
They further stated that such a system risked transforming a public university library into a closed and exclusionary space. This contradicts the institution’s role in fostering shared knowledge.
The official JNUSU statement called on JNU students to resist any administrative efforts to turn the campus into a ‘controlled space.’ The statement emphasized the library’s role as a collective area, established and protected by generations of students who advocated for equality and access.
JNUSU concluded by stating it would not permit any authority to impose systems that compromise these core values.