Delhi: Several Jamia students boycott classes, warn of escalation in protests

On Monday, over a hundred students gathered at the Mohibul Hasan Block before marching towards the Dean of Students’ Welfare (DSW) office amid chants of “Reclaim Jamia”, as per an AISA statement.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 18, 2025 08:25 AM IST

On December 1 last year, JMI had said that “no protests, dharnas, and raising slogans against any constitutional dignitaries shall be allowed on any part of the University campus” as it warned of disciplinary action. (Express Archive)

Jamia Millia Islamia Monday saw marches and sloganeering by students who raised objections over “disciplinary action” against several involved in demonstrations in the recent past.

Last week, several students were suspended for participating in protests against disciplinary action taken earlier against two PhD scholars. The Left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA) then gave a boycott call on Saturday over the suspensions. Even as the administration did not give details of the suspensions, a list, identifying about 17 students, was said to have been shared across the campus, prompting a warning from the varsity against the spread of rumours.

On Monday, over a hundred students gathered at the Mohibul Hasan Block before marching towards the Dean of Students’ Welfare (DSW) office amid chants of “Reclaim Jamia”, as per an AISA statement.

Also Read | Don’t fall prey to rumours, warns JMI as AISA calls for boycott of classes over suspensions

“The administration has thrown students into the hands of the police, suspended and banned them on baseless allegations,” read the memorandum submitted to the DSW by a group of students.

The students have demanded revocation of FIRs, suspensions, and all disciplinary proceedings against dissenting students; an immediate end to the issuance of showcause notices for peaceful protests; and the repeal of office memoranda dated August 29, 2022, and November 29, 2024, which have been used to justify disciplinary action.

“In a show of solidarity, students from all departments boycotted classes, amplifying their demands and sending a clear message to the administration that they will not back down until their voices are heard and their rights are restored,” the statement underlined. The students gave the administration 48 hours to respond to their demands, vowing to escalate the protests if no action was taken.

The varsity did not respond to requests for comment.

For many, this action against students has prompted broader concerns about what they describe as “shrinking democratic spaces” within universities across the country. “Jamia is being systematically transformed into an institution where dissent is punishable,” said a professor on condition of anonymity.

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Members of Left-affiliated groups have been protesting against show-cause notices issued by the varsity last year to students who had organised Jamia Resistance Day on December 15, 2024. The event marks the 2019 protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and has been observed annually by students. The university had formed a disciplinary committee to look into allegations of sloganeering at the event, which is scheduled to review the students’ role on February 25.

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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