Why students are on strike at 3 universities in Delhi

Students at JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia and Ambedkar University Delhi are protesting university policies that affect representation, discipline and access. The protests matter because students say these decisions shape whether they can speak, organise and participate in campus governance.

At JNU, students want the chief proctor’s office manual withdrawn, infrastructure repaired, a gender-sensitisation committee restored, an equal opportunity cell created and alleged recruitment irregularities investigated. They also want university entrance examinations restored instead of CUET. Jamia students demand restoration of union elections, dissolved since 2006. AUD students seek the reopening of its main gate, removal of barricades, faculty recruitment, infrastructure improvements and student representation.

The actions have produced disciplinary consequences. JNU students are on hunger strike, Jamia students face suspension and rustication, and AUD suspended 11 students after a campus confrontation. University administrations have defended their actions, cited security or discipline concerns and, in some cases, formed committees to discuss the demands.

A hunger strike is a form of protest in which people refuse food to show strong opposition and pressure decision-makers. It matters because the protest makes participants’ commitment visible, while also creating health risks that can force institutions to respond. The article describes hunger strikes as a key form of student unrest in Delhi.

At JNU, 18 students began an indefinite hunger strike on October 3 after a university general body meeting approved demands on discipline, infrastructure, representation and examinations. Several were hospitalised. JNUSU president Aditi Mishra reportedly lost more than 6.4 kilograms, while vice-president Gopika Babau lost 6.2 kilograms. Jamia students began a hunger strike on October 12 over union elections.

The protest continues because students and administrations have not reached agreement on all issues. JNU says medical checks occur twice daily and that discussions have taken place. Nine students remain on hunger strike there, while Jamia has formed a committee to examine protesters’ demands.

The protests described involve three Delhi universities: Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Ambedkar University Delhi. The article reports 14 students facing formal suspension or rustication: 11 at AUD, two suspended at Jamia and one Jamia student rusticated. These figures show that the unrest has moved beyond demonstrations into disciplinary proceedings.

The hunger-strike count is different. JNU began with 18 students, but the article says nine were currently continuing the strike. It does not state how many Jamia students were participating in its hunger strike. Therefore, the confirmed current figure is nine, not a combined total for both universities.

The protests remain active across the three campuses. JNU students continue pressing several demands, Jamia has created a seven-member committee, and AUD students are challenging the suspension of 11 students. The article does not provide a final settlement or a single total for every participant.

Suspension, rustication and campus bans can sharply limit a student’s participation in university life. The reported consequences include losing access to campus, libraries and normal academic activity. They can also place students under disciplinary inquiry, making the protest itself a source of serious academic disruption.

Jamia rusticated one hunger striker for an academic year and suspended two others for six months. All three were barred from campus. At AUD, 11 students were suspended, barred from campus and referred for disciplinary inquiry. JNU students said some rusticated protesters were declared out of bounds and denied medical check-ups, though the administration said medical checks were conducted twice daily.

These actions also affect the wider campus. Jamia’s Zakir Husain and Old libraries remained closed over security concerns. At AUD, students and AISA demanded that the latest suspension orders be revoked. The article does not state the final outcome of any disciplinary case, so the longer-term academic consequences remain unresolved.

Student-union elections matter at Jamia because the university dissolved its union polls in 2006. Students are demanding the restoration of that election process, not merely a new campus activity. The long gap makes the issue central to their claim that students need a direct, collective voice in university affairs.

The protest began on October 12 as a hunger strike. Tensions later rose after protesters said security personnel removed them from campus before dawn. Videos showed protesters pushing against the entrance gate, which resulted in parts of it breaking. Jamia responded with suspensions and rustication, then formed a seven-member committee to engage with students and examine their demands.

The university says departmental subject-association elections already give students a democratic platform. Students, however, continue to seek union polls. The dispute therefore concerns which form of representation should count, and whether existing departmental elections adequately replace a university-wide student body.

University decisions about protests, discipline and representation are made through several institutional bodies. Administrations set policies, chief proctor’s offices regulate conduct, security personnel control access, and disciplinary authorities decide suspensions or rustication. These decisions matter because they determine the space students have to protest and participate.

At JNU, a university general body meeting unanimously passed a resolution supporting demands before the hunger strike began. The administration discussed the protest through a committee and reported twice-daily medical checks. At Jamia, the administration formed a seven-member committee after disciplinary action. At AUD, the university suspended 11 students and referred their cases for disciplinary inquiry.

Students are involved through general body meetings, student-union office bearers, subject associations, student councils and direct protest. JNUSU leaders joined the hunger strike, while AISA said some AUD suspensions were arbitrary. The article shows decision-making as contested, with students challenging institutional choices and administrations defending them.

Student representation and democratic elections can make university governance more accountable by giving students a recognised voice in decisions affecting campus life. They create a way to raise concerns collectively instead of relying only on protests. This matters especially when policies involve access, discipline, infrastructure or student welfare.

The JNU general body meeting unanimously approved demands including withdrawal of the chief proctor’s manual, restoration of a gender-sensitisation committee and creation of an equal opportunity cell. At Jamia, students want union elections restored because polls have been dissolved since 2006. The university points to departmental subject-association elections as an existing democratic platform, but students seek broader representation.

The continuing protests show the consequences of unresolved representation disputes. Hunger strikes, sit-ins, suspensions and campus restrictions have followed. Restoring or strengthening dialogue could help address demands, but the article records no final agreement. Jamia’s committee and JNU’s discussions are the current formal routes for engagement.