JAMIA’S CAMPUS STANDOFF DEEPENS AS ONLINE CLASSES REPLACE PHYSICAL TEACHING, STUDENTS ALLEGE FORCE DURING TALKS
October 24, 2026
Jamia Millia Islamia shifted all classes to online mode with immediate effect on Saturday, October 24, as tensions continued to escalate over student demands for the restoration of the university’s students’ union. The decision, announced through an official notice, came amid an ongoing hunger strike and allegations by student organisations that protesters faced force and intimidation while negotiations with the administration were underway.
The university stated that the transition to online teaching would remain in place until further notice, citing the safety and security of students. Faculty members were instructed to make arrangements for online classes and provide the necessary academic support and learning materials to ensure continuity in the teaching process. However, the move has drawn criticism from protesters, who view it as an attempt to weaken their agitation and restrict student participation in the movement.
The confrontation centres on the demand to restore the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union, which was dissolved in March 2006. Five students began an indefinite hunger strike on October 12, pressing the administration to announce a process for reviving student representation. Their demands also include the withdrawal of disciplinary action against protesting students and the removal of the university’s chief proctor. The agitation had entered its thirteenth day on Saturday, with no clear resolution emerging from discussions between the two sides.
The All India Students’ Association (AISA) alleged that students were assaulted during negotiations with university officials. Saurabh Tripathi, AISA’s Jamia unit secretary, accused the administration of targeting hunger strikers and their protest site while discussions were taking place. He also criticised the shift to online classes, arguing that it would prevent students from joining the demonstration and diminish the collective strength of the movement. These allegations have not been independently established.
According to protesters, a group of professors and the registrar held discussions with the hunger strikers earlier on Saturday, but the talks failed to produce an outcome acceptable to them. Ebin Basil, one of the students participating in the hunger strike, said the demonstrators had made it clear that their agitation would continue until their demands were addressed. Protesters also alleged that security personnel removed their temporary protest camp from the Gulistan-i-Ghalib garden area near Gate No. 7 and that some hunger strikers were moved inside the Faculty of Economics building.
University Registrar Professor Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi confirmed that he had met students who were on hunger strike and discussed their concerns with them. The negotiations, however, had not resulted in a settlement by Saturday. The dispute therefore remains unresolved, with the students continuing to press for institutional action on their demands.
The campus confrontation has also unfolded amid controversy over graffiti bearing the slogan “Free Kashmir”. The issue has added another layer of tension to the protests, but demonstrators have denied responsibility for the graffiti and called for an investigation. Protester Anas said the administration should examine CCTV footage to establish who was responsible, arguing that the controversy should not be used to discredit the movement. The allegations surrounding the graffiti remain disputed.
The administration’s decision to move teaching online has consequently become a major point of contention in an already strained campus environment. While the university has presented the measure as necessary to safeguard students and maintain academic activities, protesters argue that it risks isolating the demonstrators at a time when they are demanding greater student representation and the withdrawal of disciplinary measures.
With negotiations yet to produce a breakthrough, the dispute at Jamia has developed into a wider confrontation over student participation, campus governance and the right to organise. The immediate future of the agitation will depend on whether the university administration and the protesting students can reach an agreement on the restoration of the students’ union and the other demands at the heart of the hunger strike.
