After stir over UGC rules on caste discrimination turned violent, Delhi University imposes ban on protests for a month

The order further stated that in the past, “organizers have often failed to control such protests, which have escalated and spread widely, resulting in deterioration of law and order within the University campuses.”

Invoking a police order issued by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Civil Lines subdivision, the notification also prohibited the “assembly of five or more persons,” the “holding of any public meeting, rally, dharna, protest, or agitation,” and even the “shouting of slogans and making speeches.” The restrictions came into effect on February 17 and will remain in force for one month, unless withdrawn earlier.

The decision follows protests on February 13 at the Arts Faculty, where students were demanding the full implementation of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) regulations aimed at addressing caste-based discrimination in higher education. That protest spiraled into confrontation, with student group All India Students’ Association (AISA) alleging targeted threats against its activists, while YouTuber Ruchi Tiwari accused some protesters of assault and molestation. Delhi Police later said cross-complaints had been received and FIRs registered.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Manoj Singh, Proctor of Delhi University, defended the order, calling it a temporary measure to restore calm. “Following the incidents that happened on 13th February, we have decided to float this notification until things settle down on campus,” he said. “We do not want any issue or protest to create a divide amongst the students and a divide in the campus. Before something serious happens, we decided to issue this notification, which will be effective for one month.”

Student organisations, however, described the order as an overreach that punishes peaceful dissent while failing to address allegations of violence and intimidation.

In a statement titled “Reject Arbitrary Curfew Imposed in Delhi University!”, AISA said “The institutional response that followed deepened this crisis and exposed the fragility of the university’s claims to democratic functioning.”

The Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), which represents a section of DU’s faculty, echoed those concerns, calling the order “a draconian measure designed not to maintain peace, but to stifle legitimate democratic expression.”

In its statement, DTF said, “By imposing a blanket ban for a month, the administration has pre-emptively criminalised peaceful assembly,” describing the order as “undemocratic and violative of the basic structure of the Constitution of India.”

The group accused the administration of using past instances of violence as “a deliberate misdirection,” arguing that “the primary source of violence and intimidation on campus in recent times has not come from peaceful protests… but from criminal elements affiliated with the ruling dispensation.”

Meanwhile, the Student Federation of India (SFI) also weighed in, stating, “By imposing sweeping restrictions on assemblies and protests, the University administration, in tandem with the police, appears to be exploiting this incident as a pretext to curb students’ democratic rights.”