Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has formed a seven-member high-level committee to hold talks with protesting students and examine their demands, as demonstrations over the restoration of the students’ union continue on campus. The university announced the decision on Monday, following a hunger strike and renewed protests against the dissolution of the union in 2006.According to a press release issued by the Office of the Chief Public Relations Officer, the committee was constituted after a meeting of senior university officials on Sunday evening. The meeting was attended by Vice-Chancellor Professor Mazhar Asif, Registrar Professor Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi, Controller of Examinations Professor Ahteshamul Haque, faculty deans and other senior officials.The committee will engage with protesting students, examine their demands and take steps to restore peace and normalcy on campus. The administration said it intends to resolve the matter through dialogue and called on students and other stakeholders to cooperate.
Why JMI discontinued students’ union elections
In its statement, the university said students’ union elections were discontinued in 2006 following repeated incidents of violent clashes, attacks on teachers and disruptions to classes.The administration also referred to proceedings before the Delhi High Court in 2022, stating that the court disposed of the matter without directing the university to conduct students’ union elections.The latest announcement, however, does not specify whether the newly formed committee will recommend restoring the union or establish a timeline for any decision.
JMI highlights department-level elections
Amid the demand for the restoration of the students’ union, JMI pointed to its existing system of subject association elections across departments and centres.Under this arrangement, students elect three office-bearers, the vice-president, general secretary and joint secretary, through secret ballots.The university said the system had served students over the years and stressed that cooperation among all stakeholders was necessary to maintain peace and a conducive academic environment.
Students protest over union restoration
The committee’s formation follows protests on October 17, when students demanding the restoration of the students’ union entered the campus amid a heavy police presence.According to PTI, students had been on a hunger strike before they were removed from the campus in the early hours of Saturday.The All India Students’ Association (AISA) alleged that protesters were forcibly removed and that some students subsequently faced suspension or rustication. The organisation demanded the restoration of the union, an announcement on elections and the withdrawal of disciplinary action against students.The university’s latest statement does not specify which individual demands the committee will examine or when its deliberations will conclude. The outcome of the proposed discussions between the administration and the protesting students remains awaited.