3 min readNew DelhiJun 5, 2026 02:18 PM IST
First published on: Jun 5, 2026 at 01:35 PM IST
Students at South Asian University (SAU) in Delhi may now be subjected to frisking and bag checks and could face disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion, for refusing to comply with the new security measures introduced by the campus this week, The Indian Express has learnt.
In a notification titled “Enhanced Campus Security Measures”, issued on June 2, security personnel are authorised to inspect students’ belongings and conduct security screening on campus.
The move, the university said, was necessitated by “repeated instances of prohibited items and substances being detected and found on the premises”.
Under the new rules, “bags, backpacks, and other personal belongings may be subject to inspection at entry/exit points and elsewhere on campus, as deemed necessary by authorised security personnel”.
The notification further states that “students may be subjected to frisking or other appropriate security screening measures when considered necessary.”
The notification also warns that cooperation with security personnel is mandatory. “… Refusal to comply, obstruction, or misconduct towards security personnel will be treated as a serious disciplinary matter,” it states.
The university reiterated that the possession, use, consumption, storage or distribution of prohibited items, including “narcotic drugs, alcohol, weapons, explosives, or other hazardous materials”, is strictly prohibited.
“Any student found in violation of this policy shall face strict disciplinary action as per the ‘Student Code of Conduct’ of South Asian University, that may lead to suspension or expulsion,” the notification reads.
All students have been directed to carry valid university identity cards at all times and produce them upon request.
Explaining the rationale behind the move, the university, in the notification, said the measures were being implemented “solely in the interests of campus safety, security, and the collective well-being of the student community.”
The notification further notes that the university “reserves the right to take such additional security measures as may be considered necessary from time to time to protect persons, property, and institutional interests”.
The Indian Express reached out to SAU President K K Aggarwal about the move, who told this newspaper that he wasn’t aware of the development. Dean of Students Navnit Jha and Assistant Director (SG) Student Support Services Vineet Ghildyal were also contacted, but no response was received.
The move follows a similar debate that unfolded at Ashoka University in Sonipat, Haryana, in January 2025, when students protested the installation of baggage scanners and metal detectors on campus, describing the measures as a “blatant violation of privacy”.
Defending the decision at the time, Ashoka University had told The Indian Express that the measures had been introduced “to enhance safety and welfare of students and campus residents”.
The university had also said the changes were implemented “in consultation with faculty and staff representatives and keeping the student government and campus ministry involved”, adding that the “safety of students and their well-being is of paramount concern to us”.
The university reiterated that the possession, use, consumption, storage or distribution of prohibited items, is strictly prohibited. (Credit: sau.int) 
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