Students protesting at Jamia Millia Islamia ( JMI) since August 24 against alleged irregularities in the admission process accused the administration of forcibly removing them from the agitation site on Wednesday. The administration, however, said security personnel had merely asked the students to clear the area since they were demonstrating outside the designated protest zone.
The development follows mounting student anger over a controversial spot round admission process. Spot round admissions are held annually in July-August to fill remaining vacant seats after regular cut-off lists are exhausted. While the university previously conducted these registrations online, it transitioned to an offline mode for the current academic session. Protesting student groups allege that this shift lacked transparency, enabling authorities to bypass waiting lists and allocate seats arbitrarily, effectively locking out deserving candidates.
The protest, started by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), drew solidarity from other organisations like the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Muslim Students’ Federation (MSF) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI).
‘Arbitrary allocation’
Protestors allege that the university ignored the merit list, giving seats to lower-ranked candidates while turning away students with higher marks, alleging that the authorities were engaging in “seat chori”.
On Wednesday night, at least four students received notices: one was suspended from campus for 10 days, two for seven days, and one for three days.
Ebin Basil, general secretary of NSUI’s Jamia unit said, “For the last three days, we have been peacefully protesting in front of the central canteen. Today, the administration and security guards surrounded us, lifted us, and snatched our phones away so that we wouldn’t record anything.”
A JMI spokesperson denied that students were removed forcibly, saying, “A space has been designated for protests following a High Court order. The students had lodged themselves in front of the central canteen, which overlooks numerous departments, and where every student can see them. They were creating a disturbance for others and were asked by their teachers and administrative officials to move from the spot, following which they got up and walked away.”
Protesting students alleged the spot admission round was rushed, effectively locking out candidates on the waiting lists. An earlier statement by the NSUI had also questioned why the spot rounds were being held after only two selection rounds. However, the university administration maintained the process was conducted quickly to prevent academic delays. Officials added that all students are eligible for spot admissions that are “dynamic in nature”.
In October last year, the university issued a notice earmarking a designated protest site, near Gate number 18, and declared the rest of the campus “out of bounds” for demonstrations. This notification, too, drew criticisms from students, who said it was an attack on democratic dissent. In February last year, 17 students were suspended for protesting against increasing disciplinary action on campus.
Published – August 27, 2026 01:25 am IST
