JMI Forms 7-Member Panel to Engage Protesting Students and Restore Campus Calm

NEW DELHI, October 19, 2026: In response to ongoing student hunger strikes and protests, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has set up a high-level, seven-member committee of senior deans and professors to review student demands and restore peace across the campus.

The decision followed an emergency meeting chaired by Vice Chancellor Prof. Mazhar Asif, alongside key university administrative heads, hostel provosts, and faculty deans.

In its official statement, the university administration expressed a commitment to resolving the impasse through constructive dialogue. Addressing historical context around student representation, JMI noted that student unions were dissolved in 2006 due to severe violent clashes and frequent academic disruptions. Furthermore, the Delhi High Court disposed of a petition in 2022 without directing the university to hold union elections, recognizing the institution’s history of campus unrest.

The administration highlighted that a democratic subject association model—where students elect department-level representatives via secret ballot—has functioned effectively since then. With the current administration in office since October 2024, university officials reiterated their goal to find an amicable resolution while urging students and stakeholders to help protect the reputation and academic environment of the 106-year-old institution.