Administration Issues Final Ultimatum

NEW DELHI — The administrative standoff at Jamia Millia Islamia escalated significantly on Wednesday as university authorities issued a final warning directing protesting students to immediately vacate the Gulistan-e-Ghalib Building and Ghalib Lawn on the North Campus.

The university administration has threatened strict disciplinary and legal action against individuals who fail to comply with the evacuation order. In response to the ongoing unrest, the institution announced that academic classes for all courses will continue to be conducted exclusively online until further notice.

The protests, which have stretched into their 16th day, center primarily around demands for the restoration of the Jamia students' union and the scheduling of democratic elections—a process students state has remained dormant since 2006.

Core Disputes and Broken Negotiations

The latest directives follow a breakdown in communications after a previous tentative agreement between negotiating factions. While one faction of the student body initially called off the agitation following administrative concessions, a separate group rejected the settlement. Protesters argued that the university failed to provide a binding timeline for approving the students' union constitution and conducting formal elections.

Under the previous negotiation framework, the administration had agreed to revoke earlier suspension orders and show-cause notices issued during the protests, alongside establishing an inquiry committee to investigate the conduct of campus security personnel. In exchange, the administration demanded public retractions and apologies for social media posts deemed defamatory by authorities.

However, a persistent faction of students refused to withdraw, demanding concrete election dates alongside the immediate resignation of the university's Proctor and Security Adviser.

Hunger Strike and On-Campus Tensions

The agitation has also featured an ongoing hunger strike by several postgraduate students. Ritik Kumar, a political science student participating in the fast, stated that communication from the administration regarding election schedules remains entirely absent.

Protesting students have also heavily criticized the administration's decision to shift academics online, arguing that remote learning violates the terms of their enrollment for regular, on-campus instruction. As the university maintains its hardline stance, campus security remains on high alert amid mounting pressure from both the student body and civil society groups monitoring the situation.