Full Breakdown
Jamia Millia Islamia Moves All Classes Online as Student-Union Protest Escalates
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On October 24, 2026 Jamia Millia Islamia announced that all courses would be conducted online until further notice. The decision followed a confrontation between university staff, security guards and students protesting for the restoration of an elected student union.
Background & Context
JMI’s student union was dissolved in 2006 after campus violence. Since then the university has operated without elected student representation. Beginning on October 12, 2023, a group of students launched a sit-in and hunger strike demanding a timetable for union elections, withdrawal of disciplinary action, and removal of the chief proctor and security advisor.
Timeline
- Oct 12 – Protest and hunger strike begin, five students commence fasting.
- Oct 16 – University rusticates one striker, suspends two and bans three students for a year.
- Oct 17 – Protesters allege they were dragged off campus before dawn.
- Oct 18 – A high-level committee (HLC) is constituted to engage with the protesters.
- Oct 21 – A five-member professor committee is formed to draft a new union constitution, due December 20.
- Oct 24, 2026 – Classes shift online; gates and libraries close; Registrar Mahtab Alam Rizvi cites safety concerns.
Data & Statistics
- Five students are on hunger strike.
- The union has been inactive for 20 years.
- Approximately 1,500 staff, the vice-chancellor and registrar met on Oct 24 to discuss the situation.
Official Statements & Responses
Registrar Rizvi framed the online shift as a “precautionary measure” to protect students and maintain academic continuity. The notice said disciplinary actions taken between Oct 12 and Oct 21 would be reviewed. The HLC urged an end to the hunger strike and proposed a code of conduct for security personnel. Rizvi also claimed that the visit of Congress MPs Imran Pratapgarhi and Imran Masood “disturbed the campus environment” and that a police complaint had been filed.
Criticism & Opposition
- “The hunger strikers and the protest site are being attacked. This reveals the most brutal face of the Jamia administration.” — AISA
- “Students were being manhandled by the staff. They were attempting to clear our protest site and remove the tents. All gates were closed and students were not being allowed to enter.” — Ms. Farooq, MSc Disaster Management student
On-the-Ground Reports
- “Security guards removed the tent and moved the students on hunger strike inside the Faculty of Economics building, and called an ambulance to forcibly detain us.” — Abin Basil
- “We see this as another way of restricting students amid the ongoing protest.” — Nausheen Farooq, MSc Disaster Management student
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The university says staff tried to persuade protesters and that tent removal was negotiated. Student groups allege an unprovoked “crackdown” with guards and police forcibly removing hunger strikers. Responsibility for graffiti bearing “Free Kashmir” and “Free Sharjeel Imam” remains disputed; the administration cites CCTV and “unauthorised outsiders,” while protesters claim the slogans are being used to defame the movement. MPs contest Rizvi’s claim that their visit disturbed the campus, saying they were there to show solidarity. No independent verification of guard numbers, police involvement, or the exact sequence of the tent removal has been provided.