Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi has announced a timeline for restoring its students’ union after a 20-year hiatus, prompting students to end a two-week-long protest and celebrate what they described as a victory for their rights,
In an order issued by the Registrar’s Office on Thursday, the university said the constitution of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU) would be approved and implemented by May 15, 2027. Elections will then be held within approximately six weeks of the beginning of the new academic session, expected to start on July 16, 2027.
The announcement came on the university’s 106th Foundation Day and followed prolonged protests, including hunger strikes by students demanding a clear timeline for restoring the elected body.
The administration also announced that all show-cause notices and disciplinary proceedings initiated against protesting students would be withdrawn. Orders relating to expulsions and suspensions, along with restrictions on students’ entry to the campus, would also be revoked.
Students welcomed the decision and celebrated the announcement, bringing the agitation to an end.
Ebin Basil, who had been on hunger strike for 18 days, described the development as a major victory for students, saying it would be remembered in Jamia’s history.
Another hunger striker, Rehan Mewati, who had been fasting for 15 days, told news agency ANI that “the truth has triumphed”.
The latest breakthrough followed a stalemate over the university’s earlier attempt to resolve the dispute.
On October 26, the registrar issued an order stating that elections would be held 15 days after approval of the students’ union constitution. However, protesting students rejected the arrangement, arguing that it did not establish a definite deadline for approving the constitution.
They had demanded that the constitution be drafted and approved by December 20, with elections held within 15 days of its approval.
Under the latest schedule, voting is now expected around mid-August 2027.
The JMISU was dissolved in 2006, and the university has not held students’ union elections since.
The administration had cited a series of violent incidents, including an attack on the vice-chancellor, as the reason for dissolving the union. It later maintained that elections could not be held from 2012 because of a pending petition before the Delhi High Court, a position disputed by students.
The latest agitation began more than two weeks ago, following a similar movement at Aligarh Muslim University in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. The AMU administration agreed to restore students’ union elections after a 19-day hunger strike and scheduled the polls for November 5.
Meanwhile, Jamia also announced that offline classes and examinations would resume on campus from November 8. Academic activities had been shifted online amid the protests.