At Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), a hunger strike demanding the restoration of the university’s students’ union has escalated into a confrontation over student representation, with protesters alleging that they were forcibly removed from the campus by university security personnel and Delhi Police in the early hours of October 17. The alleged eviction was followed by disciplinary action against protesting students, including the rustication of one student for a year and campus bans on others. On October 19, the university announced a seven-member committee to examine students’ grievances and work towards restoring “normalcy” on campus. But with no commitment to restoring the union announced so far, the question remains whether the committee will address the root of the unrest or merely manage its immediate fallout.
Office of the Chief Public Relations Officer
Jamia Millia Islamia
Important Press Release
JMI Constitutes a High-Level Committee to Address Students’ Grievances and Restore Normalcy on Campus
New Delhi, October 19, 2026.
A meeting of senior university functionaries, Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Prof. Mazhar Asif; Registrar, JMI; Prof. Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi; Controller of Examinations, Prof. Ahteshamul Haque; Deans of Faculties, Dean of Students’ Welfare, Dean, Academic Affairs; Chief Proctor; Provosts of all Hostels; Chief Public Relations Officer; and other officials of JMI, was held last evening to deliberate on the demands raised by students who have been sitting on a hunger strike and staging protests.
Following detailed discussions during this meeting, the university has constituted a high-level 7-member committee comprising senior Deans and Professors, to engage in dialogue with the protesting students, examine their demands, and take necessary steps towards restoring peace and ensuring a return to normalcy on the campus.
The University administration remains committed to resolving the matter through constructive dialogue and deliberation, grounded in mutual trust and understanding. It seeks the same spirit of cooperation from the protesting students and other stakeholders. It is worth noting that union elections were dissolved in JMI in 2006, following recurrent incidents of violent clashes, attacks on teachers, and the occasional disruption of classes during that period. In the intervening years, in view of the well-documented history of violent disruptions and frequent shutting down of the campus, the courts have issued no directions to the university. Most recently, in 2022, the Hon’ble Delhi High Court accepted the argument and submission of the Standing Counsel, JMI, and disposed of the matter, giving no directions to the university to conduct elections of Students’ Union, in light of the rampant history of violent clashes on campus in and after 2006.
Nonetheless, the present administration, which assumed office in October 2024, remains committed to finding an amicable resolution to the two-decade-old impasse. It is also important to place on record that Jamia Millia Islamia has instituted a robust and democratic system of subject association elections in each of its departments and centres. Under this system, students vote by secret ballot to elect three office-bearers, namely, the Vice-President, General Secretary, and Joint Secretary in their respective departments and centres. This system has served the students very well through these past years.
The administration reiterates that collaboration is essential to fostering and conserving peace and harmony on campus and ensuring that the academic environment remains conducive and enabling for all students, faculty members, and staff. The present administration calls upon all stakeholders and students to work towards safeguarding the name, reputation, and high national and international ranking of the 106-year-old university.
Prof. Saima Saeed
Chief Public Relations Officer
@EduMinOfIndia
@rashtrapatibhvn @PMOIndia @ugc_india @PTI_News @ANI— Jamia Millia Islamia (NAAC A++ Grade Central Univ) (@jmiu_official) October 19, 2026
#WATCH | Delhi | Jamia Millia Islamia’s students continue their protest demanding reinstallation of JMI Student Union, revocation of disciplinary action against protesting students and chief proctor’s resignation over the 17 October incident. https://t.co/TLrsMNRanA
— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2026
#WATCH | Delhi | NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar says, “…Today we have arrived at Jamia University. The students of Jamia have a single demand; they have been on a hunger strike for the past 7 days… They are demanding that student union elections be held at the university. We stand with them and fully support their demands. However, the Jamia administration has remained completely indifferent; despite the hunger strike entering its seventh day, neither the Vice-Chancellor nor any other administrative official has come to check on the well-being of these students… Student union elections must be reinstated at Jamia. If they are not, we will intensify and strengthen this movement further…”
— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2026
The agitation, which began on October 12, has revived a question that has remained unresolved for nearly two decades: who speaks for Jamia’s students? University-wide students’ union elections have not been held since 2006, when the administration discontinued them, citing incidents of violence and disruption on campus. The current protesters argue that departmental subject associations cannot replace an elected university-wide body capable of representing students across academic departments and collectively raising concerns about admissions, hostel facilities, access to campus resources and administrative decisions.
Delhi: Students continue to protest at Jamia Millia Islamia University, demanding that student union elections be held. Some students are on a hunger strike to press for their demands. https://t.co/LEHYgfVeev
— IANS (@ians_india) October 13, 2026
Restore Jamia Students’ Union! Stop the Repression of Students!
At around 5:30 AM today, Jamia administration acting at the direction of the Chief Proctor, forcibly removed students on hunger strike demanding the restoration of the students’ union and threw them out of the campus. The campus lights were switched off, they were beaten, manhandled and harassed, dragged out, and then handed over to the Delhi Police. All the detained students have since been released.
We strongly condemn this brutal assault on students exercising their democratic right to protest. The administration must immediately stop its repression of students and restore the Students’ Union.
HQ, CPIML LIBERATION
— CPIML Liberation (@cpimlliberation) October 17, 2026
The three demands of the #Jamia Students are:–
1. Immediate reinstatement of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU).2. Revocation of all ongoing disciplinary action against students involved in the protest and an end to any further punitive action against them.
3. Resignation of the Chief Proctor, who the students hold responsible for the events of October 17, when protesters were allegedly forcibly removed from the campus.
#jamiamilliaislamia
@santwana99
@NewIndianXpress— Ifrah Mufti (@ifrahmufti) October 18, 2026
The confrontation has also brought the university’s handling of dissent under scrutiny. While the administration maintains that demonstrations must comply with campus rules and has defended its actions in the name of security and academic functioning, students have alleged physical manhandling during the eviction and questioned the disciplinary measures imposed on them. The issue, therefore, extends beyond the immediate question of whether student union elections will return. It concerns students’ ability to organise, question administrative decisions and seek accountability within an institution that shapes their academic lives.
Students have been protesting at Jamia Millia Islamia for the restoration of its elected student union, which was dissolved in 2006. Some of them have been on a hunger strike for the past week. At around 5 am today, the campus security guards, accompanied by the chief proctor, violently disrupted the protest, dragging students away. As students began demanding the proctor’s resignation, the university administration locked the campus gates. Around ten protesters were detained by the police, but have since been released.
The gates were eventually opened, but the streetlights inside the campus were turned off. Some two hundred protesters have assembled on the Ghalib Lawns, with heavy police deployment outside.
Videos by Shahid Tantray (@shahidtantray)
— The Caravan (@thecaravanindia) October 17, 2026
From hunger strike to alleged forcible eviction
The hunger strike began at the university’s designated protest site near Gate No. 18 before moving to Gulistan-i-Ghalib Garden, near Gate No. 7. By the time the agitation intensified, five students had joined the indefinite strike, demanding the restoration of the union and a formal mechanism for collective student representation.
The confrontation escalated in the early hours of October 17, when protesting students alleged that university security personnel and Delhi Police officers forcibly removed them from the site. Students described being dragged, pushed and physically manhandled. The Times of India reported that some students also alleged that women protesters were prevented from entering the campus and were assaulted when they attempted to join the demonstration.
According to Outlook India, students described security personnel dismantling their temporary shelter and alleged physical mistreatment during the October 17 incident. The university’s subsequent public statement announcing the committee did not address these specific allegations.
Rustication and campus bans deepen the dispute
The alleged eviction was followed by disciplinary action against students participating in the agitation. On October 16, the university issued orders rusticating Ebin Basil, a BA LLB student, for one year and imposing six-month campus bans on Mohammad Jasim Khan and another student, according to report by Hindustan Times.
The disciplinary orders reportedly accused the students of participating in unauthorised gatherings, obstructing university personnel and violating campus rules. The university also cited allegations concerning interference with CCTV installation. The students have challenged the disciplinary measures and demanded their withdrawal, alongside an inquiry into the alleged use of force.
What happened to the students’ right to representation?
Jamia discontinued university-wide students’ union elections in 2006. The administration has cited recurring incidents of violence, clashes involving students and teachers, and disruptions to academic activities as reasons for the decision. It has also argued that elected departmental subject associations provide students with alternative channels of representation.
In its October 19 announcement, the university reiterated its intention to seek an amicable resolution to the long-standing impasse. It also referred to the Delhi High Court proceedings that concluded in 2022 without a direction requiring the university to hold union elections. The absence of such a body has become especially contentious amid allegations concerning admissions, hostel facilities, access to libraries and sports infrastructure, and restrictions on student gatherings. As The Indian Express reported on October 17, the protesting students argue that, without an elected university-wide body, they lack a formal platform to raise concerns ranging from basic campus amenities to larger academic and administrative decisions.
Admissions, hostel food and the everyday costs of having no collective voice
The demand for a union is also rooted in the everyday realities of campus life. Students have raised concerns about the admission process, hostel conditions, drinking water, washrooms, access to sports facilities and the use of university spaces for academic and student activities.
In August, students protested over alleged irregularities in spot admissions for the 2026–27 academic session. They questioned the decision to conduct the process offline, following online admissions in previous years, and alleged that some candidates lower on the merit list had secured places while higher-ranked candidates remained on waiting lists. The university rejected the allegations as baseless and maintained that its admission process was transparent.
In September, residents of the Jammu and Kashmir Girls’ Hostel protested over alleged contamination and poor quality of mess food. Students reported finding insects and other foreign objects in meals, including allegations of worms in food and glass shards in vegetables. The university subsequently assured residents that the mess contractor would be removed and that food quality and hygiene would be improved.
A committee is a beginning, not a resolution
In its October 18 report, Hindustan Times reported that the university shut the Dr Zakir Husain Library and the Old Library, citing security concerns amid the escalating protests. The closure added another dimension to an already tense situation, particularly for students who depend on university facilities for their studies.
Students have also alleged restrictions on access to sports facilities and university venues, as well as difficulties obtaining permission for group activities and academic discussions. Some have questioned the location of the designated protest site, arguing that its distance from the administration’s offices makes it harder for their grievances to receive attention.
The seven-member committee announced on October 19 comprises senior faculty members and deans, including the deans of Humanities and Languages, Life Sciences, Social Sciences, Students’ Welfare and Academic Affairs, alongside two other faculty members. The university has said the committee will engage with protesters, examine their demands and report to the Vice-Chancellor.
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