Jamia protest: University shifts classes to online mode to ensure ‘safety, security’ of students

Jamia Millia Islamia university in Delhi on Saturday (October 24, 2026) announced that classes of all its courses have been shifted to online mode until further notice to ensure the “safety and security” of its students amid an ongoing protest demanding restoration of elected student representation on campus.

In an official notice, the university said this is a precautionary measure taken to safeguard students’ academic interests and to ensure “continuity in the teaching-learning process without any undue disruption”.

Several students have been staging a hunger strike since October 12 demanding the restoration of student union elections that were last held in 2006. JMI has not held student union elections since they were dissolved following campus violence. 

Earlier in the week, Jamia constituted a committee to draft the constitution of its students’ union, which was dissolved in 2006. The five-member committee will be chaired by Zubair Meenai, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The committee will examine the circumstances that led to the dissolution of the students’ union in 2006, relevant court rulings, and the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee (2007). It has been asked to consult all stakeholders, including students, and submit a draft by December 20.

The development followed the constitution of a high-level committee on October 18 to engage with protesting students and examine their demands. According to the university administration, the panel members held discussions with student representatives on October 19 and 20, but the students did not agree to sign the minutes of the discussions.

Rejecting the notifications, student representatives said the measures failed to address their three key demands: the immediate announcement of a schedule for the 2026-27 students’ union elections, revocation of disciplinary action against protesters, and removal of the Chief Proctor and the Security Advisor.

They alleged that the decision to constitute another committee to draft the union’s constitution by December 20 was a delaying tactic. The students said their indefinite hunger strike would continue until the university released the JMISU election notification and schedule.

With PTI inputs