Jamia Millia Islamia Students Allege Forced Eviction and Suspensions Over Spot Admissions
Students protesting at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi against alleged irregularities in the admission process accused the university administration of forcibly removing them from their agitation site on Wednesday. The administration denied using force, stating that security personnel had simply asked the demonstrators to clear the area because they were gathering outside the campus's designated protest zone.
The unrest began on August 24 over the university's spot round admission process. While Jamia previously carried out spot round registrations online, it shifted to an offline format for the current academic session. Protesting student groups alleged that this change lacked transparency and enabled authorities to bypass waiting lists, allocating seats arbitrarily to lower-ranked candidates while turning away those with higher marks.
On Wednesday night, the university issued disciplinary notices to at least four students. One student was suspended from campus for 10 days, two were suspended for seven days, and one was handed a three-day suspension.
The demonstration was initiated by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and gained support from several other student bodies, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), the Muslim Students’ Federation (MSF), and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI).
Ebin Basil, general secretary of the NSUI Jamia unit, said that students had been staging a peaceful protest in front of the central canteen for three days. He alleged that administrative staff and security guards surrounded the demonstrators, lifted them, and confiscated their phones to prevent them from recording the incident.
A university spokesperson rejected claims of forced removal, noting that the High Court had mandated a designated space for demonstrations near Gate number 18. According to the spokesperson, the students had set up their agitation in front of the central canteen, an area overlooked by multiple academic departments, causing a disturbance. Officials and teachers asked them to relocate, after which the students dispersed.
Protesters also claimed the spot admission round was conducted too hastily after only two selection rounds. University officials defended the timeline, maintaining that the process needed to be completed quickly to avoid academic delays and reiterating that all eligible students could participate in the dynamic spot rounds.
