Following a weeks-long standoff over demands to restore student representation, Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi has agreed to conduct student union elections by the last week of August 2027, in response to ongoing protests and a hunger strike on campus.
In an official notification issued on Thursday, the university administration directed that the process of drafting, approving, and implementing the constitution for the ‘Jamia Millia Islamia Student Union’ be completed by May 15, 2027. The elections will be held within six weeks of the start of the academic session, which commences on July 16, 2027.
This decision paves the way for the return of a student union to the university after nearly two decades. Student union elections have not been held at Jamia since 2006, leaving students without an elected representative body for the past 20 years.
The administration’s assurance follows a prolonged agitation, during which students demanded a clear election schedule, a formal commitment to restore the student union, and the withdrawal of disciplinary actions taken against them during the protests.
Student Union: Hunger Strike Ends
Following a meeting with the Registrar, the protesting students have called off their hunger strike. The Registrar provided assurances regarding a definitive timeline for drafting the student union’s constitution and conducting the elections.
This new decision by the administration resolves a key point of contention between the two sides, specifically, the absence of a firm timeline for finalizing the constitution and holding elections.
Previous proposals had failed to resolve the dispute, as the protesters insisted that the university issue a formal order specifying a clear timeline for the elections. Following weeks of protests and uncertainty regarding the restoration of student representation, this new decision marks a significant breakthrough.
Disciplinary Actions to be Withdrawn
Under the administration’s directive, all disciplinary measures taken against students for their participation in the protests, including ‘show-cause’ notices, formal disciplinary proceedings, rustication, suspension, and bans on campus entry, will be withdrawn.
This move fulfills another key demand of the protesting students, who had opposed the disciplinary sanctions and restrictions imposed during the agitation. The protests had intensified in recent weeks, with students staging hunger strikes and demonstrations near the university’s administrative block.
The agitation necessitated the deployment of security personnel around the campus gates and led to the disruption of regular academic activities.
Offline Classes to Resume From November 9
Meanwhile, Registrar Prof. Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi announced that offline classes and examinations at Jamia Millia Islamia will resume on Monday, November 9, following the Diwali break. Academic activities had previously been shifted to an online mode due to the tension on campus.
With the administration’s latest communication and the students’ decision to call off their protests, regular academic activities are now expected to resume.
Students had expressed concerns regarding the shift to online learning and examinations—particularly those enrolled in courses that require practical training, fieldwork, and other activities that are difficult to conduct remotely.
Having agreed to a timeline for the student union constitution and elections, the focus will now shift to implementing this directive and ensuring that the election process is completed within the stipulated timeframe. The proposed elections will be a significant step toward student representation at Jamia, as the absence of student union elections since 2006 has been a long-standing issue.
For now, the administration’s commitment to finalise the constitution by May 15, 2027, and to conduct elections within six weeks of the start of the academic session provides a clear roadmap for the restoration of the student union.
