Jamia Students End Hunger Strike After Administration Sets Election Timeline

Students at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi officially called off their 18-day agitation and indefinite hunger strike after university authorities committed to a time-bound process for restoring the Jamia Millia Islamia Students' Union. The breakthrough arrived when the administration issued a formal order on October 29, promising to approve and implement the students' union constitution by May 15, 2027.

Under the terms of the agreement, campus elections will take place within six weeks of the commencement of the next academic session, which is scheduled to begin around July 16, 2027. The electoral process will follow the recommendations and guidelines established by the Lyngdoh Committee. Furthermore, the university agreed to withdraw all pending disciplinary actions, including show-cause notices, suspension orders, rustication, and campus bans issued against protesters.

The successful negotiations were conducted between a four-member student delegation, various student organization representatives, and university authorities, alongside intervention from external political figures. Registrar Professor Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi confirmed that all major student demands were accepted. The drafting process for the constitution will involve student representatives, professors, and legal experts before undergoing scrutiny by the Academic Council and Executive Council.

The protests began on October 12, driven by the absence of an elected student representative body since March 2006, when the union was dissolved following incidents of campus violence and administrative disputes. Students argued that previous verbal assurances lacked concrete deadlines, prompting them to launch a sustained hunger strike that eventually forced the administration to establish a binding schedule.

Despite the peaceful resolution of the primary standoff, tensions remained regarding legal and police actions taken during the demonstrations. Delhi Police registered two first information reports concerning alleged vandalism during the protests, and two student activists associated with the National Students' Union of India, Zeeshan Khan and Mohd Faizan, were sent to Tihar Jail for three days following their detention outside the university.

Political figures and student groups across the country reacted strongly to the settlement. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal hailed the outcome as a major victory for student power, criticizing the administration's handling of the protests and noting that activists had faced severe measures, including detention and imprisonment in Tihar Jail. Meanwhile, student leaders emphasized that while the agreement represents a historic milestone for campus democracy, monitoring will continue until all detained individuals are fully released.