Jamia orders union polls after constitution approval as two students continue hunger strike

Jamia Millia Islamia on Monday ordered students’ union elections to be held within 15 days of approval of a new union constitution, following two weeks of protests at the Delhi university. Two students continued their hunger strike, with protesters saying they had received no assurance that the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Proctor would resign.

The university also revoked suspensions and show-cause notices issued during the agitation, while asking students to apologise for defamatory remarks against the administration. It said a committee would investigate the conduct of security personnel during the protest.

Students began demonstrating in mid-October to demand a fixed election schedule, withdrawal of disciplinary action and the removal of senior university officials. Jamia has not held union elections since 2005-06, when the union was dissolved following campus violence.

The dispute intensified over the weekend after students alleged that university staff and security personnel tried to dismantle their protest site and forcibly remove hunger strikers. The administration said it had attempted to persuade protesters to end the agitation and cited vandalism and objectionable slogans on campus.

Jamia moved all classes online until further notice, closed campus facilities and restricted entry, describing the steps as precautions for student safety and academic continuity. Students gathered outside the gates on Sunday amid a heavy police deployment, and some climbed campus walls to join the protest. The university said Sunday night that a mutual understanding had ended the protest, but the continuing hunger strike showed that some demands remained unresolved.