Protesting students at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi attempted to force their way back onto campus by climbing the gates on Sunday (October 25, 2026), a day after security personnel tried to remove them forcibly, even as authorities cut off water supply, sealed entry points and moved all classes online amid a heavy police deployment.
The students have been protesting since October 11, demanding the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU), which has not existed since 2006. On Saturday (October 24), security personnel along with teaching and non-teaching staff attempted to clear the protest site, uprooting the tent pitched on the lawn inside gate no. 7, suspending electricity and water on campus, closing the gates and libraries, and announcing that all classes would be held online until further notice. Students responded by gathering in large numbers, staying through the night, singing songs and raising slogans demanding the union’s restoration.
On Sunday, a similar scene played out, with heavy contingents of CRPF and Delhi Police personnel guarding the entry gates and dispersing students trying to enter. “We have been trying to go inside the campus but the security personnel are not allowing us. They have barricaded gate no. 7 and no entry is allowed from other gates as well. In the afternoon, some students from the hostel tried to access the health centre from gate no. 4 but were not allowed,” said Md. Zubair, a second-year Bachelor’s student.
With both entry and exit barred, students trapped inside the campus could not access filtered water and had to depend on friends to bring them water. Some students seeking to join the protest climbed the gates and got in, while Delhi Police personnel stopped several others by pulling and physically handling them. A number of students were also detained.
Around 1:00 p.m., the Vice-Chancellor, accompanied by administration officials and staff, visited the campus, inspected the gates and security arrangements, and left without speaking to the students. “We have been demanding a dialogue with the V-C and the Chief Proctor on the restoration of JMISU that has been non-existent since 2006. After inviting students for a dialogue, the V-C used force to remove us and end our protest,” alleged Habeeba, one of the students removed from the hostel.
The university administration, however, defended its actions, saying students were being informally asked to vacate hostels since classes had shifted online and the festive season was approaching. “Dialogue has been happening since day one. On Saturday (October 24), the entire Jamia, including professors, the administration and even the non-teaching staff, went to meet the students, but they did not want to end their protest,” an official said, denying that students were forcibly removed. “If they had been removed, they would not have been there still.” On the suspension of water facilities, the official said that with the campus moved online, “the staff is not there. The gates and libraries are closed. The classes are happening online. They have no business being there.”
Original Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/jamia-students-climb-gates-join-protest-amid-heavy-police-deployment/article71623802.ece
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Publish Date: 2026-10-25 22:54:00
