In the Midst of Continuous Protests, Jamia Millia Islamia Moves Courses Online, Citing “Protection of Students”

In response to continuous student protests on campus calling for the reinstatement of the students’ union, which was disbanded in 2006, Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi has moved all of its classes online. The university made the choice to protect the safety and security of “bonafide students,” according to an official statement released on Saturday.

“In view of the ongoing situation and in order to ensure the safety and security of bonafide students in the university campus, the competent authority, JMI has decided to conduct classes of all courses of the university through online mode with immediate effect until further notice,” a notice signed by JMI registrar Mohd Mahtab Alam Rizvi, dated October 24, stated.

Additionally, faculty members were instructed by the administration to help with the transition to online instruction by offering the required learning resources and academic assistance.

On Saturday, a number of videos appeared online that allegedly depicted the eviction of a protest camp that students had set up outside the university’s Gulistan-i-Ghalib garden, next to Gate No. 7. Additionally, it seemed like students were being requested to disperse in the footage. The clip could not be independently verified by news channels.

“In the morning, dozens of professors, along with the registrar, held talks with us, but the discussions ended without any satisfactory outcome. We made it clear that the protest would continue until our demands were met,” said 22-year-old Ebin Basil, one of the students who has been on a hunger strike since October 12.

“On the administration’s directions, security guards removed the tent and they moved the students on hunger strike inside the Faculty of Economics building, and called an ambulance to forcibly detain us. But there are students outside the building who aren’t letting them detain us,” Basil added.