Jamia union polls 15 days after constitution nod, but students call order vague

By TUF News Desk · Published 26 October 2026 · 4 min read

Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy

Jamia Millia Islamia told its students on Monday that union elections will be held 15 days after the union constitution is approved. The order, dated October 26, is the university’s clearest statement yet on restoring a student union that has not held an election since it was disbanded in 2006. It did not, however, end the agitation on campus.

The order also revoked the suspension and show-cause notices issued to students during the protest period, and said a committee will be set up to investigate the conduct of security personnel during the agitation. At the same time, it recorded that protesting students had undertaken to issue a public apology through a press conference for statements the university described as defamatory, and to remove related posts from social media immediately. The order said the protest should be called off once it was issued.

Registrar Professor Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi reached the campus at around 4.30 am on Monday and shared the order with the protesters, urging them to withdraw on the grounds that their demands had been met. Earlier, the Registrar had reportedly warned that students would get 30 minutes after 9 am to vacate the protest site, failing which legal action could follow.

Students say the key date is still missing

A section of students rejected the order within hours. Their objection is simple: the order promises elections 15 days after the constitution is approved, but it sets no deadline for approving the constitution. Without that second date, they argue, there is still no fixed election date.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said the order did not clearly announce the restoration of the student union and left key concerns unresolved, including the demand for action against, or the resignation of, the university’s Chief Proctor.

Two students, one linked to the National Students’ Union of India and another to the Fraternity Movement, continued their hunger strike amid the uncertainty. The protesters have asked for a definite election date, action against officials named during the agitation, and an assurance that participants will not face disciplinary consequences.

Fourteen days of protest behind the order

The order followed 14 days of protest that began on October 12, when students demanded the restoration of the elected student union and raised concerns about disciplinary action and the conduct of university officials. On October 21 the university had formed a five-member committee to draft a constitution for the union, a step the protesters also rejected at the time because it named no election date: Jamia forms student union panel after 20 years; protesters reject it, strike continues.

By Sunday, the protest had reached a tense pitch. The university had shifted classes online on Saturday, yet more than 500 students gathered to back the stir on Sunday, according to The Indian Express. Security personnel from Delhi Police and central forces were deployed inside and outside the campus. An FIR has been filed over the chaos during Friday’s protest, after the university lodged a complaint with Delhi Police against Congress MPs Imran Masood and Imran Pratapgarhi and others, accusing them of trespassing and inciting unrest.

On Sunday the students wrote to Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Asif, saying the hunger strike by five students would be called off only after a written assurance on their demands. Their main demand is the restoration of the union with a fixed election date and schedule, and they have sought polls by November 30. The administration has said it held four rounds of talks with the protesters and that the sequence has to be followed: first a constitution, then the electoral roll, then the election date.

For now, both sides agree on the sequence but not on the calendar. The constitution committee has until December 20 to deliver its draft, and the October 26 order adds the 15-day rule for polls after approval. What remains unsettled is when approval itself will come, and that is the date the protesters are still waiting for. Students weighing a university can read our guide on how to choose a university in India for what to check beyond courses and fees, and the official Jamia Millia Islamia website carries the university’s own notices.

Frequently asked questions

What did Jamia Millia Islamia announce about student union elections on October 26?

The university said elections to the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union will be held 15 days after the union constitution is approved. The order did not give a date for that approval.

What else did the October 26 order say?

It revoked suspension and show-cause notices issued to students during the protest and ordered a committee to look into the conduct of security personnel during the agitation.

Why did some students reject the order?

They said it names no deadline for approving the constitution, so there is still no fixed election date, and their demand for action against the Chief Proctor was not addressed.

How long has the Jamia protest been going on?

It began on October 12, 2026, and entered its 14th day on October 25. The student union has not held an election since it was disbanded in 2006.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: The Free Press Journal, The Indian Express