Jamia Millia Students Win Historic Battle For Campus Democracy After 20-Year Ban
In a historic victory for campus democracy, students at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University successfully forced the administration to bring back the Students’ Union after a 20-year ban.
The breakthrough came late Thursday night, October 29, ending a grueling 18-day protest that had brought the central university to a complete standstill.
Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Asif and Registrar Mahtab Alam Rizvi personally met the protesting students to read out the official executive order.
The announcement triggered massive celebrations across the campus, coinciding perfectly with Jamia’s 106th Foundation Day.
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The agitation began earlier in October when student groups rejected an administration proposal to set up an undemocratic “Students Council” made of selected representatives.
Instead, a united front of student bodies—including AISA, NSUI, and SFI—demanded a fully elected, autonomous union. Jamia has not had an active student union since 2006.
To press their demands, five students went on an indefinite hunger strike near campus Gate No. 7. The protest faced severe resistance from the university.
In a pre-dawn crackdown, security forces demolished protest tents, and the administration issued rustication orders and campus bans against the striking students. Over the course of the agitation, Delhi Police detained more than 70 students.
However, the crackdown backfired. Thousands of students joined the movement in solidarity, breaching university gates and shutting down the campus.
The administrative deadlock forced the university to move all classes and semester exams online. The student leaders also gathered crucial support from mainstream political leaders and lawmakers, who intervened to negotiate with the Vice-Chancellor.
Bowing to the immense pressure, the university administration accepted all three core demands of the students:
- The university will draft and approve a new Students’ Union constitution by May 15, 2027. Official democratic elections will be held within six weeks of the start of the next academic session.
- All disciplinary actions, rustication orders, and show-cause notices against the protesting students have been unconditionally cancelled.
- Return to Normalcy: The campus will reopen for physical, in-person classes and offline exams starting Monday, November 2, 2026.
It is a monumental win for student democracy in India.
