Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) took to the streets in a “long march” on Thursday to the Union Ministry of Education, demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Shantishree Dhulipudi Pandit over alleged casteist remarks and raising broader concerns about equity regulations, student discipline and funding cuts.
The protest, organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), was stopped by Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) at the university gate, leading to violent clashes that left students and police personnel injured, with more than 50 students detained and 14 arrested.
Authorities say students attempted to break past locked gates without permission to carry the march outside the campus; protesters and teachers’ groups accuse police of using excessive force and detaining students at undisclosed locations. The administration reiterated that no permission was granted for a protest outside, while student bodies have called for further demonstrations.
Clashes Erupt As ‘Long March’ Is Blocked; Leaders Arrested
On Thursday afternoon, after gathering inside the JNU campus near Sabarmati Dhaba, hundreds of students assembled to begin what they termed a “long march” towards the Ministry of Education in New Delhi.
The protest was intended to put pressure on authorities to act on a range of issues most prominently the alleged casteist remarks by the Vice-Chancellor but also on long-standing grievances including implementation of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) Equity (Anti-Discrimination) Regulations, enactment of the “Rohith Act” to protect marginalised students, reversal of disciplinary actions against student leaders and calls for stronger funding for public universities. Early in the afternoon, police and RAF personnel fortified the main gate area with barricades, locks and chains to prevent students from leaving the university campus.
According to the police, after repeated warnings to keep the march within campus bounds due to lack of permission, a section of protesters forcefully broke through the triple-locked main gate and attempted to proceed towards the city.
As officers tried to contain the crowd near the North Gate, clashes broke out. Delhi Police claims that students damaged barricades, pelted banners, sticks and shoes at personnel, and even bit a few, injuring several officers, including senior staff. Police pushed students back inside the premises, detained over 50 demonstrators, and later arrested 14, including union office bearers. An FIR was registered at Vasant Kunj North police station under sections related to obstruction of public servants, voluntary hurt and criminal force against officials.
Students and union leaders, however, have strongly rejected the police version, alleging that dorm-style tactics were used to restrict their democratic right to peacefully protest. JNUSU announced a follow-up march and called on supporters to rally outside the main gate and march to the Vasant Kunj Police Station to demand the release of detained students. The union has also alleged that several students were injured during the violent dispersal and were denied adequate medical assistance, and that some were taken to “unconfirmed locations”.
The presence of the Rapid Action Force a paramilitary unit and the heavy barricading of the campus gate signalled the authorities’ readiness to contain the protest well before students began their march. Visuals circulated online showed locked and chained gates, heavy security deployments, and tense stand-offs between police lines and student groups.
Roots of Unrest: VC Remarks, Equity Regulations And Broader Student Grievances
The immediate trigger for the protests was a controversial episode of a podcast aired in mid-February, in which Vice-Chancellor Pandit discussed the UGC’s proposed Equity Regulations designed to prevent caste-based discrimination in higher education and commented that Dalits “cannot progress by being permanently a victim or playing the victim card”.
The remarks were widely condemned by student groups as casteist and insensitive towards marginalised communities, prompting widespread criticism and formal complaints. A former JNUSU president and Dalit activist recently filed a complaint with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) alleging that the comments promote “enmity, hatred and ill-will” against Dalit communities and seeking action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Student bodies condemned the Vice-Chancellor’s remarks as “blatantly casteist” and demanded not only an apology and her resignation but also action to implement the very policies designed to protect students from discrimination.
These demands resonated with broader frustrations among student activists who have long argued that government universities are underfunded, that equity policies are vital for meaningful inclusivity, and that disciplinary actions against student union leaders have been heavy-handed.
Past protests on campus over related issues had already seen sporadic clashes between rival student groups and security forces, indicating a tense backdrop to the latest march. While JNUSU positions itself as representing marginalised students’ concerns about structural discrimination, other campus groups have also been vocal in opposing various policies, leading to a complex atmosphere of competing demands and periodic unrest.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Universities are fundamental spaces for learning, dialogue and critical thought not only in the classroom but also in civic engagement. When allegations of caste-based insensitivity arise, they must be addressed with seriousness, transparency and empathy.
Academic institutions have a responsibility to protect the dignity and rights of all their members, especially those from historically marginalised communities. At the same time, the state and its agencies must ensure that responses to protest movements uphold democratic liberties and the right to peaceful dissent, without resorting to excessive force or unduly restricting freedoms on the pretext of law and order.
