Four years after handover, JNU creche remains closed, leaving employees without legally mandated support

Four years after the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) formally handed over the responsibility of running the JNU creche to the University administration, the facility remains non-functional.

This leaves employees, especially women, without a basic and legally mandated support service, the varsity teachers alleged, as reported by Ifrah Mufti of The New Indian Express.

Established in 2002, the JNU Creche was a vital facility for the university community, serving faculty members, research scholars, and non-teaching staff. For nearly two decades, it was funded and managed by JNUTA with limited support from the University.

However, the growing financial burden on JNUTA — funded solely through member contributions — became unsustainable, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown. In September 2020, JNUTA officially handed over the creche to the university administration.

The teachers took up this issue in a report issued by the association on October 7.

“Despite the clear handover and repeated appeals over the last four years, the creche remains closed. While minor maintenance work has been carried out, there has been no substantial effort to restart operations. This continued inaction stands in direct violation of multiple legal provisions,” read the JNUTA statement.

The report highlighted that under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, and its Delhi-specific notification from 1972, every establishment employing 20 or more women is required to provide a creche within 50 metres of the workplace. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 further mandates creche facilities in all establishments with 50 or more employees, making it a legal obligation, not a discretionary one.

Moushumi Basu, President of the JNUTA stated, “The UGC guidelines — particularly those issued under the XII Plan — explicitly recommend support for the establishment and maintenance of day-care centres in universities. These facilities are recognized as essential, not just for compliance with the law, but as a crucial step toward gender equity in the workplace.”

She added, “Other central universities, including Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and IGNOU, continue to provide functioning creche facilities while JNU, despite its progressive legacy, lags behind.”

JNUTA also noted that even during the lockdown, it continued paying creche staff for several months despite halted operations — a testament to its commitment.

“The association has made numerous representations to successive university administrations, but to no avail,” a seior member of the JNUTA said.