Rajasthan Pensioners’ Revolt: JNVU Crisis Sparks Outrage Against BJP’s Neglect

Subhead: Senior Citizens Burn Effigies, Demand Action from CM Bhajan Lal Sharma and PM Narendra Modi

By Onkareshwar Pandey

Indian Observer Post

Jodhpur, July 4, 2025 – The pension crisis at Jai Narain Vyas University (JNVU) in Jodhpur has spiraled into a political storm, with senior citizens accusing the BJP government under Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma of abandoning them. The JNVU Pensioners Society, having met former Chief Ministers Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Ashok Gehlot, and recently Sharma, alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, demands urgent intervention to resolve the seven-month pension delay affecting 1,500 retirees, many facing starvation.

The crisis traces back to a 1990 pension scheme introduced by then-Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, implemented through Government Order No. 3/16/edu/4/89 dated April 16, 1991, for state-funded universities. Initially, JNVU and other universities paid pensions from their savings, but since 2015, financial constraints have halted payments. Professor Ram Niwas Sharma, President JNVU Pensioners Society, explained, “State-funded universities implemented the pension scheme per government orders, but since 2015, financial constraints have stopped payments. We met Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Ashok Gehlot, and Bhajan Lal Sharma, urging the state to take over pension liabilities as it does for college staff.” Despite these meetings, no relief has been forthcoming, intensifying pensioners’ distress.

The financial crisis at JNVU stems from multiple factors: declining student enrollment due to new colleges and universities in Jodhpur, fee exemptions for girls and SC/ST students, partial fee reimbursements for OBC students not fully honored by the state, and stagnant government grants since 1985. Dr. Lokendra Singh Shaktawat, Secretary of the JNVU Pensioners Society, noted, “These factors have depleted university funds, making pension payments impossible. States like Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra fund university pensions through their treasuries, but Rajasthan excludes us.” The state disburses pensions to 5,71,412 employees, including 3,70,000 pensioners and 2,03,942 family pensioners, with a 2025-26 budget of Rs. 3,79,617 crores, yet university staff are excluded, unlike college teachers paid through the State Treasury.

Affected Universities:

• Jai Narain Vyas University (JNVU),
• Maharana Pratap Agriculture and Technology University,
• Mohan Lal Sukhadia University, University of Rajasthan.

On July 4, 2025, marking the 51st day of protests, pensioners escalated their agitation with a symbolic funeral procession for the university administration, led by Professor Ganga Ram Jakhad (former Vice-Chancellor and Patron), Professor B.R. Joshi, Professor S.N. Garg, Professor Renu Sharma, Professor Usha Talwar, Mohan Singh Bhati (President, Employees Union Pensioners Struggle Committee), and Ashok Vyas (Convener, Pensioners Struggle Committee). Hundreds of retirees, including women teachers and family pensioners, joined Ravindra Bohra (former President, All Rajasthan Employees Federation), Radhe Shyam Sharma, Teja Ram, Gheesu Lal, Dinesh Ramawat, Professor Kailash Nath Vyas (Treasurer), Professor Sukhbir Singh Bains (Organization Secretary), and Professor Gulab Singh Chauhan. They marched to the vice-chancellor’s residence, burned effigies at the JNVU office, and chanted “administration murdabad” slogans, condemning the absent university leadership and BJP government’s inaction.

A delegation led by Professor Ganga Ram Jakhad, Professor Gulab Singh Chauhan, and Professor Ram Niwas Sharma met Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Jogaram Patel at the Circuit House, presenting a memorandum demanding state-funded pensions. The talks yielded no resolution, deepening pensioners’ frustration. At the protest site, Professor Ram Niwas Sharma, Mohan Singh Bhati, Satyanarayan Gaur, and Ravindra Bohra addressed the crowd, warning, “If the government and university administration fail to act, this agitation will intensify, and they will be responsible for any consequences.” The pensioners resolved to continue the protest until the state assumes pension responsibilities through the State Treasury and clears pending payments.

Professor Ram Niwas Sharma, President JNVU Pensioners Society – “We met Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Ashok Gehlot, and Bhajan Lal Sharma, urging the state to take over pension liabilities as it does for college staff.”

Ashok Vyas, Convener Pensioners Struggle Committee, declared, “Pensioners from the University of Rajasthan, Mohan Lal Sukhadia University, and Maharana Pratap Agriculture and Technology University support our cause. This movement will spread across Rajasthan until our demands are met.” The crisis affects multiple state-funded universities: JNVU (1,500 pensioners), Maharana Pratap Agriculture and Technology University (1,400 pensioners, with a case pending in the Rajasthan High Court), Mohan Lal Sukhadia University, and the University of Rajasthan, where pensioners protested on June 11, 2025, submitting a memorandum to the vice-chancellor. Professor H.S. Sharma, President of the University Pensioners Association, emphasized, “Universities’ financial situation is dire, and the state must intervene to ensure timely pensions.”

Ashok Vyas, Convener Pensioners Struggle Committee – “This movement will spread across Rajasthan until our demands are met.”

The Supreme Court’s rulings affirming pension as a fundamental right have been ignored, fueling public outrage amplified on X. The BJP, when in opposition, criticized the Congress government’s 2022 reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for excluding university staff, labeling it a populist half-measure. Now in power, the BJP’s silence has drawn accusations of hypocrisy, with pensioners and opposition leaders questioning their commitment to senior citizens. Dr. Shaktawat highlighted the disparity: “JNVU salaries are paid through the State Treasury, but pensions are not. Including university pensioners would marginally increase the budget but end this injustice.” Representations to the Governor, the ceremonial Chancellor, and multiple authorities have gone unanswered.

Professor H.S. Sharma, President University Pensioners Association – “Universities’ financial situation is dire, and the state must intervene to ensure timely pensions.”

The pensioners’ plight is particularly acute for those from the former engineering faculty, now MBM University, unpaid for seven months, and others facing four-month delays. The JNVU Pensioners Society, supported by Professor Sushil Jagdish Lalwani (former Dean, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies), demands a national pension policy from Prime Minister Modi, who oversees the pension portfolio, and immediate action from Chief Minister Sharma. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh’s assurances at a Vigyan Bhawan workshop on pension litigation have not translated into relief for university retirees.

The ongoing agitation, set to continue, reflects growing discontent with the BJP government. Pensioners’ symbolic acts, like carrying begging bowls and burning effigies, underscore their desperation. With statewide support from other universities, the movement threatens to escalate, posing a significant challenge to the BJP’s credibility as it grapples with accusations of neglecting Rajasthan’s elderly academics.

Photo Caption: JNVU pensioners burn effigies at the vice-chancellor’s office, demanding pension payments, July 4, 2025. (Photos by Dr. Lokendra Singh Shaktawat)

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