Jamia university orders student union polls within 15 days of constitution approval

New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia on Monday ordered that students' union elections be held within 15 days of the approval of the union's constitution and revoked suspension and show-cause notices issued to students during the ongoing protest, according to an official order.

The order, issued by Registrar Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi, also provides for the constitution of a committee to inquire into the conduct of security staff during the protest period.

The decisions came after the university considered a demand letter submitted by students on hunger strike and their delegates.

According to the order, the protesting students have agreed to issue a public apology at a press conference for defamatory statements, actions or social media posts made against the university administration during the agitation. Such posts are to be taken down from social media platforms with immediate effect.

The order states that the protest will be called off immediately following its issuance.

The development comes amid a nearly two-week-long agitation at the university demanding the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students' Union (JMISU), whose elections have not been held since 2006.

Four students had been on an indefinite hunger strike over the demand, while other protesters sought a time-bound election schedule, withdrawal of disciplinary action and an inquiry into alleged excesses by security personnel.

The university had earlier announced that classes across all courses would shift to online mode with immediate effect amid escalating tensions at the protest site. It had also advised students to avoid visiting the campus, stating that gates and libraries would remain closed until further notice.

The administration had said a seven-member committee of professors held multiple rounds of talks with the protesters and that a committee to draft the JMISU constitution had been notified on October 21.

Students had maintained that the formation of the drafting committee was insufficient without a definite timeline for elections and the inclusion of student representatives in the process.

The latest order sets a timeline for elections after the constitution is approved, withdraws protest-related suspension and show-cause notices, and provides for an inquiry into the conduct of security staff during the agitation.

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