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12 Jamia students detained for protesting over disciplinary action; university says they are violating rules

The Delhi Police confirmed that the Jamia students were detained but maintained they did not enter the campus.

Members of left students’ groups have been protesting against the university’s show-cause notices issued last year to students who had organised a CAA-NRC observance day. (Express Photo)

Around 12 Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) students, protesting since Monday against showcause notices issued to two PhD students for allegedly sloganeering “without permission or intimation to university authorities” last year, were detained by the Delhi Police on Thursday morning before being released later in the day.

The university administration has accused them of vandalising varsity property — including the central canteen and security advisor’s office — but students have denied the charge and claimed the canteen was running smoothly. “I visited the canteen in the day and everything seemed fine. There was no destruction of property visible anywhere,” claimed a student.

According to the protesting students, they were made to leave campus after which police detained them at 5 am; they were then taken to different police stations in Southeast Delhi. The Delhi Police confirmed that the students were detained but maintained that its personnel did not enter the campus.

The Indian Express reached out to Naved Jamal, Chief Proctor; Quamrul Hassan, Chief Media Officer; and Mazhar Asif, the Vice-Chancellor, for a comment and received no response. Police sources told The Indian Express on Thursday that all detained students were released.

The university administration, citing disruption to academic activities and damage to university property, said in a statement Thursday morning, “This handful of students have, in the last two days, vandalised university property, including the central canteen, and also broke the gate of the security advisor’s office, forcing the JMI administration to take action. They have violated

other university rules and were found carrying objectionable contraband items. The university administration… has taken preventive measures so the university continues to conduct classes and other academic activities as normal.”

“… today morning, the university administration and the Proctorial team removed students from the site of the protest and they have been evicted from the campus. The police have been requested to maintain law and order situation,” the statement added.

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Members of Left students’ groups have been protesting against show-cause notices issued by the varsity last year to students who had organised a CAA-NRC observance day in December. The university formed a disciplinary committee to look into allegations of sloganeering at the said event, which is scheduled to review the students’ role on February 25.

On December 1 last year, JMI had said “no protests, dharnas, and raising slogans against any constitutional dignitaries shall be allowed on any part of the University campus” and warned of disciplinary action. Official sources had told The Indian Express that the notification was issued after a few Left-wing organisations held a protest against the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal over a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid.

At the centre of the latest demonstrations is a suspension letter issued to student activist Sakhi, president of the Students’ Federation of India JMI Unit, which accused her of violating university rules.

SFI, in a statement Thursday, said the charges against her include disobeying faculty instructions, damaging property, and engaging in conduct deemed “unbecoming of a student”.

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Students contended that these accusations are baseless, and part of an ongoing effort by the administration to silence calls for campus rights, including improved hygiene facilities, better food quality, and academic freedom.

The protest was also fuelled by opposition to a 2022 office memorandum that prohibits gatherings of more than five students without prior approval from the administration. Student parties on campus argued that this memorandum functions as a de facto restriction on demonstrations, academic discussions, and even informal cultural gatherings such as book readings and poetry sessions.

“Jamia has turned into a space where any form of student engagement is labelled as misconduct,” a protesting student said.

“The administration responded with a forceful eviction of the demonstrators. Following the eviction, university authorities called for police assistance to maintain order on campus. The protest and subsequent crackdown have reignited discussions about student representation at Jamia, which has not held student union elections for nearly two decades,” another protesting student told The Indian Express on condition of anonymity.

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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