Jamia Millia Islamia shifts all courses online as protests over the restoration of the students’ union continue on campus. (Img: X)
New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) on Saturday shifted classes across all courses to online mode with immediate effect, as an escalating campus protest over the restoration of the students’ union continues to trigger security concerns and controversy over alleged slogans and graffiti. The university’s decision will remain in force until further notice.
In a notice issued by the Office of the Registrar, the university described the move as a precautionary measure intended to safeguard students while ensuring continuity in academic activities. Registrar Professor Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi directed deans, heads of departments, directors, faculty members and students to comply with the online class schedule and maintain regular participation in teaching and learning.
Faculty members have been instructed to make arrangements for virtual classes and provide students with the necessary learning materials and academic support. The university has not announced a date for the resumption of physical classes, leaving students and faculty to follow further instructions issued through official channels.
The decision comes as the protest, which began on October 12, enters a critical phase. Students have been demanding the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU) and the removal of the university’s Chief Proctor, whom protesters accuse of taking disciplinary action against demonstrators.
The agitation began with an indefinite hunger strike by five students: Ebin Basil, Mohd Jasim Khan, Rehan Haider, Rehan Pawar and Faizan Ali Khan. The hunger strike entered its 13th day on October 24, according to reports.
The students are seeking the restoration of the students’ union, which was dissolved in March 2006. They have also called for the withdrawal of suspensions and show-cause notices issued to students by the proctor’s office and the disciplinary committee.
Jasim Ali Khan, one of the hunger strikers, alleged that the university administration was pursuing a crackdown on protesters and demanded that the suspensions be revoked. Another student protester, identified as Anas, called for the withdrawal of show-cause notices and maintained that the agitation would continue until the students’ demands were addressed.
The dispute has intensified amid allegations of confrontations during the protest. The students’ association has accused the university administration of using force against demonstrators while negotiations were under way.
These allegations have not been independently established in the information available. According to reports, tensions escalated during the initial days of the agitation when Delhi Police attempted to remove protesters from the designated protest site on campus.
The online-class decision follows a separate controversy over reports that the words Free Kashmir had appeared as graffiti on the university campus. The allegations have been denied by protesting students, who say the issue is being used to divert attention from their demand for the restoration of the students’ union.
Anas urged the university administration to investigate the graffiti and examine campus CCTV footage to establish who was responsible. He maintained that the hunger strikers and protesters were not involved in writing the slogan and insisted that the agitation had remained peaceful.
Congress leader Imran Masood, who visited the campus on Friday to meet protesting students, also denied that slogans calling for a separate or free Kashmir had been raised during the demonstration. He said he had publicly condemned any such slogan and maintained that Kashmir was an integral part of India.
The competing claims have made the slogan controversy a significant flashpoint in the wider campus dispute. Responsibility for the graffiti and the circumstances in which it appeared remain matters requiring verification.
The continuing agitation has also forced the university to cancel its 106th Foundation Day celebrations, known as Talimi Mela 2026. The event had been scheduled to take place on campus from October 29 to November 1 and was intended to showcase Jamia’s educational, cultural and institutional heritage.
In an internal communication dated October 21 and addressed to heads of departments and deans, the Dean of Students’ Welfare said the proposed resolution had not been accepted by the protesting students and normalcy had not been restored on campus. The administration cited the safety and well-being of students, guests and participants while announcing the cancellation.
The cancellation marks another disruption to university activities as the administration and protesters remain at odds over the students’ union demand and disciplinary action against demonstrators.
Jamia has not specified when students will return to physical classrooms. Until a fresh order is issued, all courses are to be conducted online, with faculty members responsible for sharing class schedules, virtual access details and study materials.
The university has framed the decision as a precautionary step, while the protesters continue to press for their demands. The coming days will be crucial in determining whether negotiations can resolve the standoff, whether the administration addresses the students’ demands and when normal campus activities can resume.
For now, the dispute over student representation, disciplinary proceedings and the disputed slogans has moved beyond the protest site, affecting classroom teaching and the university’s major annual celebrations.
