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JNU doubles security for convocation after campus tensions over ‘provocative slogans’

The measures follow uproar over a student event earlier this week, where ‘provocative and inflammatory’ slogans were allegedly raised.

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 9, 2026 10:12 PM IST

The university also wants to prevent a repeat of 2019 when massive protests had broken out over hostel fee hike during the convocation. Archive

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has tightened security arrangements for its convocation on January 12 amid tensions on campus after “inflammatory” slogans were allegedly raised at a student event earlier this week, The Indian Express has learnt.

Sources in the university administration told The Indian Express on Friday that additional security personnel — double the usual strength — will be deployed at the convocation venue this year. “Typically, we deploy around 10 to 12 security officers at the venue,” an official said. “This time, we will deploy close to 30 personnel to ensure no mischief takes place during the convocation. Delhi Police and CRPF personnel will also be present at the venue,” the official added.

On Monday evening, “highly objectionable, provocative, and inflammatory slogans” were allegedly raised during an event, linked to the sixth anniversary of the January 5, 2020, campus violence, organised by “students associated with” the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU).

A purported video appeared to show students raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The varsity had asked police to register an FIR and identified nine students by name, including all four JNUSU office-bearers, and said further identification could follow.

The university also wants to prevent a repeat of 2019 when protests had broken out over hostel fee hike during the convocation, leaving then Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal trapped inside the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) campus — the venue for the event — for around three hours.

Speaking about arrangements for the convocation this time, the official quoted above said the venue has only a single entry and exit point and access will be strictly regulated. “Only individuals identified and approved by the university will be allowed to enter. No one will be permitted without authorisation,” the official said.

If students attempt to protest outside the venue, particularly along Nelson Mandela Marg, an open public stretch, the situation will be handled by the Delhi Police, the official added. It is learnt that senior Delhi Police officers and JNU’s security officials held a coordination meeting on Friday to review arrangements ahead of the event.

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Asked if more students had been identified in connection with the slogans raised at the earlier protest, the official said the university’s focus was currently on the convocation. “We are all busy with the convocation right now. That process will move forward after the 12th.”

On Thursday, JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said a “lunatic fringe” could not define the university. Addressing a conference on campus, she said JNU had returned to normalcy within 24 hours and remained peaceful.

“Every institution has disruptive elements,” Pandit said, describing JNU as the “most nationalistic university” in the country. Emphasising the institution’s global reputation, she said events on campus resonated far beyond its gates.

In 2019, the administration under then Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar had said a large group of students broke open campus gates, crossed police barricades, and marched to the AICTE auditorium. Police eventually used water cannons to disperse them.

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“It is unfortunate that instead of participating in a constructive dialogue… protesting students are persistently staging strikes, gheraos, and demonstrations… causing administrative shutdown and academic loss,” the varsity had said in a statement then.

Officials said steps being taken this year are aimed at ensuring that such disruptions are not repeated. “The idea is to ensure that the convocation, a milestone for graduating students, proceeds without interruption,” an official said.

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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