Students at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) have called off their 18-day hunger strike after the university issued a time-bound roadmap for restoring the students’ union. In an order dated October 29, the university said the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU) Constitution would be approved and implemented by May 15, 2027, with elections to be held within six weeks of the start of the next academic session, which is scheduled to begin around July 16. This would place the polls in late August 2027.
The administration has also ordered the withdrawal of ongoing show-cause notices, disciplinary action, rustications, suspensions and campus bans linked to participation in the protest. Separately, JMI has ordered undergraduate and postgraduate classes and examinations to return to offline mode from November 2, after academic activities were shifted online amid the agitation.
A Fixed Election Roadmap
The October 29 order addresses the central demand raised by protesting students: a definite timeline for bringing back an elected students’ union after nearly two decades. It states that the approval and implementation of the JMISU Constitution must be completed by May 15, 2027.
Once the constitution is approved, the university will issue the election notification in accordance with the recommendations and guidelines of the Lyngdoh Committee. The elections are to be held within six weeks of the commencement of the academic session, expected around July 16, 2027. While this translates to late August as the likely election window, the university has not specified a separate fixed polling date.
The administration has also directed that ongoing show-cause notices, disciplinary proceedings, rustications, suspensions and campus-ban orders issued in connection with participation in the protest be revoked. This follows weeks of tension between the administration and students over disciplinary action against protesters. However, the university order concerns its own disciplinary measures; it should not be interpreted as an automatic withdrawal of separate police or legal proceedings related to alleged incidents during the agitation.
Why Students Were Protesting
The agitation began with demands for the restoration of the JMISU and a clear timetable for elections. Five students initially began an indefinite hunger strike on October 12. As the protest continued, some withdrew, while others remained on hunger strike. By October 29, reports identified Ebin Basil and Rehan Khan among those continuing the fast. The students had argued that the administration’s earlier commitment to hold elections 15 days after approval of the constitution was insufficient because it did not set a deadline for when that approval would happen.
The university had earlier constituted a five-member committee on October 21, headed by Professor Zubair Meenai, to prepare the students’ union constitution. The committee was expected to consult stakeholders, including students, and take into account the JMI Act, applicable regulations, court directions and the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations. A university official told The Indian Express that the constitution could not be drafted hastily because the union had been defunct for nearly 20 years and the regulatory framework governing student politics had evolved during that period.
Two Decades Without Polls
JMI has not held university-wide students’ union elections since 2006, when the union was dissolved. Historical accounts indicate that elections had resumed in 2005 after an earlier interruption, but the union was dissolved the following year amid concerns over incidents of violence and clashes on campus. The administration has previously pointed to subject associations as an existing channel through which students can raise department-level concerns, while protesters have argued that a university-wide elected union is necessary for collective representation.
The latest agitation intensified after the university moved classes and examinations online amid the protests and tightened restrictions on campus access. On October 26, JMI had agreed in principle to hold elections after approval of the constitution, but students continued their protest because no deadline had been set for that approval. The October 29 order provided the missing timeline and prompted the students to call off the hunger strike.
Academics Return Offline
JMI has separately ordered the resumption of offline teaching and examinations from November 2. Undergraduate and postgraduate programmes will return to physical classes according to the respective departmental and faculty timetables, while examinations will also be conducted offline. The decision replaces the earlier online arrangement introduced amid the campus unrest.
The development came on JMI’s 106th Foundation Day, October 29. The university had earlier cancelled its Talimi Mela celebrations, scheduled from October 29 to November 1, citing concerns over the protest situation and the safety and well-being of students, guests and participants.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The resolution at Jamia demonstrates the importance of dialogue, clear commitments and peaceful avenues for resolving disagreements on educational campuses. Students need meaningful representation and the freedom to raise legitimate concerns, while universities must ensure that academic life, safety and institutional processes are protected.
The latest agreement can help rebuild trust, but its credibility will ultimately depend on whether the promised constitution and election process are completed transparently and within the stated timeline. Do you think a clear roadmap for student elections can help Jamia rebuild trust between its administration and students?
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#WATCH | Delhi: Students celebrate at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University as JMI setS May 15, 2027, as the deadline for completing the approval and implementation of its students’ union constitution, with elections to be held within six weeks of the commencement of the next academic session. The fresh order comes amid continued protests and a hunger strike by students demanding the restoration of the elected students’ union, which has remained defunct since 2006.
— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2026
#WATCH | Delhi: Registrar, Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof. Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi says, "We had received 3 demands from students…We have accepted all 3 of their demands. The approval and implementation of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union Constitution shall be completed by 15th May, 2027. We have also said that the draft Constitution will not have just Professors or legal experts but students representatives too. We will have representative from every faculty. So, that students’ representation and view comes to us in a democratic manner. After the views of students and our committee comes to us, we will send those to stakeholders for comments. We will then send it for legal vetting and after that, it will be taken to Academic Council, then the Executive Council and then send it to visitor nominee for final consent…We also accepted that the elections will be conducted within 6 weeks of the start of the academic session, that is approximately within 6 weeks from 16 July 2027. As oer their third demand we have revoked the disciplinary action taken on students who were rusticated or suspended or issued a showcause notice during the protesting period…There is Diwali vacation till 8th November. When the students come after that, I will reques them and resume our offline classes…"
— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2026
