Jamia Millia Islamia on Monday announced that student union elections would be held after nearly 20 years, following a 14-day protest demanding the restoration of an elected student body. The protesting students, however, rejected the administration’s order, saying it did not specify when the union’s constitution would be approved or address their demand for the Proctor’s resignation.
Some media reports said the students had accepted the administration’s assurances and called off their protest. The students disputed this account, maintaining that they would continue their agitation until the university formally agreed to their demands.
An order issued by the registrar’s office states, “The Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union Election will be held after 15 days, from the date of approval of the constitution of the Students’ Union of Jamia Millia Islamia.” However, it does not specify when the constitution will be approved, leaving the election schedule uncertain.
The students have said they will call off their hunger strike and sit-in only after receiving a written agreement from the university administration accepting their demands. “We will call off the hunger strike and sit-in protest only upon receiving a written agreement from the university administration accepting them,” their letter stated.
Jamia’s students’ union was dissolved in 2006. Students have since demanded its restoration, arguing that an elected body is necessary to represent their concerns before the university administration.
Registrar Mahatab Alam Rizvi arrived on campus at around 4:30 am on Monday to meet the protesters. He shared the administration’s order and urged them to end their agitation, saying their demands had been addressed.
The students rejected his assurance, pointing out that the order set no deadline for approving the constitution. While it states that elections will be held 15 days after approval, it leaves the first step in the process open-ended.
They also said the order did not address their demand for the Proctor’s resignation, one of the issues behind the ongoing protest.
The students maintain that the announcement alone is not enough to end their agitation. They want the administration to commit to their demands in writing, including a clear timeline for the election process.
Although the university’s announcement signals a possible return to student union elections after nearly two decades, the absence of a deadline for approving the constitution and the unresolved demand for the Proctor’s resignation remain central to the dispute. The students have said their hunger strike and sit-in will continue until the administration provides a written agreement.
