Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) university announced on Saturday that it is shifting all courses to online mode with immediate effect until further notice.
The decision was made as a “precautionary measure” to ensure the safety and security of students amid escalating campus protests demanding the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU), which was dissolved in 2006.
Official Directives and Dispersal of Protest Camps
In an official notice dated October 24 signed by Registrar Mohd. Mahtab Alam Rizvi, the university directed all deans, department heads, directors, faculty members, and bonafide students to transition immediately to online class schedules. Faculty members have been instructed to provide necessary academic support and learning materials to maintain continuous teaching-learning activities.
The announcement coincided with reports and unverified social media videos showing security guards removing a protest camp set up at the Gulistan-i-Ghalib garden near Gate No. 7. Student protesters who have been on an indefinite hunger strike since October 12 alleged that administrative officials and security personnel dismantled their tents, moved hunger strikers inside the Faculty of Economics building, and attempted to call ambulances to forcibly detain them.
Student Allegations and Campus Tensions
Student leaders, including All India Students’ Association (AISA) Jamia Secretary Saurabh Tripathi, alleged that the shift to online classes is an administrative attempt to restrict student mobility, disrupt the movement, and isolate protesters. Other student representatives accused the university administration of trying to create division among students by using the phrase “bonafide students” in official communications.
The student agitation, which entered its second week, centers on demands for the restoration of elected student representation and a clear schedule for union elections. Tensions have escalated in recent days amid administrative actions, panel negotiations, and political interventions on campus.
