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‘Left outside at night in the winter cold’: After student outcry, Ashoka University lets them return early

The communication was issued after a meeting between the Dean of Student Affairs and representatives of the Ashoka University Student Government.

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 6, 2026 11:56 AM IST

Sources within the Student Government said that during Monday’s meeting with the administration, it was pointed out that sports teams routinely return to campus about a week before the winter break officially ends. Based on this precedent, it was communicated that students who wished to return during the same period should also be allowed to do so. (Source: Ashoka University Official Website)

It was pointed out that sports teams routinely return to campus about a week before the winter break officially ends. (Credit: Ashoka University Official Website)

Days after Ashoka University students alleged that they were left stranded outside campus during the winter break — some for hours late at night in cold and foggy conditions — the university on Monday announced that students would now be allowed to return to campus earlier than the originally scheduled dates, The Indian Express has learnt.

In an email sent by the Residence Life Office on Monday afternoon, Ashoka stated that “students who wish to return to campus before the scheduled arrival dates of 17 and 18 January 2026 may do so on or after 11 January 2026”, adding that “no prior approval from the Residence Life Office is required for returning on or after this date.”

The communication was issued shortly after a meeting between the Dean of Student Affairs and representatives of the Ashoka University Student Government (AUSG), and comes amid growing student criticism over how winter-break residence restrictions were enforced.

As reported by The Indian Express on Monday, several undergraduate students said they were denied access to campus despite appeals citing lack of accommodation in Delhi. In some cases, access cards were disabled without warning, leaving students outside campus gates late in the evening.

Sources within the Student Government said that during Monday’s meeting with the administration, it was pointed out that sports teams routinely return to campus about a week before the winter break officially ends. Based on this precedent, it was communicated that students who wished to return during the same period should also be allowed to do so.

On Monday, Ashoka University told The Indian Express, “All students holding administrative responsibilities such as resident assistants, heads of various student-led clubs & societies, and those preparing for sports tournaments could be on campus by 11th of January in accordance with the policy. The policy has in-built flexibility of up to a few days for departure from campus and return to campus during the winter break. Upon receiving multiple requests for an early return, we have advanced the date of return to campus by a week for all students.”

Responding to student concerns earlier, Ashoka University had told The Indian Express that winter-break residence restrictions were being implemented “as per policy”.

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“During the winter break, students who are required to be on campus for pre-scheduled official assignments, with advance information to the university, and all international students are permitted to be on campus. Due to security and logistical concerns, access to university premises remains restricted during this period to those with prior approval, as per university regulations,” it had said.

Student representatives, however, claimed that no detailed explanation was provided beyond this, even though students pay hostel fees for the monsoon semester, which covers residence between August 22 and December 31.

For years, according to the students, they have been allowed to remain in their hostels at Ashoka University during such vacations. Many students, especially those from outside North India, or abroad, routinely stayed back, as their hostel fees covered residence through December.

But this time, it was different. Members of the Student Government had said students were informed of a new ‘Residence Life’ policy, requiring them to vacate campus during the winter break unless they received special approval through an appeal process. Several students said the communication that followed was delayed, ambiguous, or entirely absent.

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An undergraduate student from Karnataka had told The Indian Express that he found himself locked out of campus close to midnight in a similar manner after receiving an email barring him from staying on campus during the winter break on a very short notice.

On December 28, while he was in Delhi and planning to return to campus, he said he received an email in the evening, stating that he would not be allowed back on campus.

By 11.45 pm, he, along with another student, was standing outside the campus gate in cold, foggy conditions, he had told The Indian Express. “Our access cards had been disabled. Campus shuttles had stopped running. Sonipat felt unsafe,” he added. “We kept telling them we had no family, nowhere to go,” he said.

Only after he emailed the administration, copying the Vice-Chancellor, stating that the university was “leaving us out in the cold where their cards reactivated around 10 minutes later,” he added.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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