Jamia Millia Islamia has constituted a five-member committee to draft a constitution for its students’ union, nearly two decades after the body was dissolved in 2006. The move follows an ongoing student protest on the university campus, including a reported mass boycott of classes, demanding the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU).
The university issued a notification on Wednesday after discussions between its administration and protesting students. According to the notification, the committee has been formed under Article 23(J) and (K) of the Jamia Millia Islamia Act, 1988. It will examine the circumstances surrounding the union’s dissolution, relevant court rulings and the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee of 2007.
The committee will be chaired by Zubair Meenai, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Its members are Luqman Ahmad Khan, Dean of Life Sciences; Aslam Khan of the National Medical College and Hospital; Amarjeet Singh of the Centre for European and South Asian Studies; and Neelofar Afzal, Dean of Students’ Welfare, who will serve as the convenor.
The university said a high-level committee formed on October 18 held discussions with student representatives on October 20 to address their grievances. The notification said students did not agree to sign the minutes of that meeting, despite further discussions between the administration and the protesters.
The newly constituted committee is expected to consult stakeholders, including students, before submitting its draft constitution by December 20. The notification does not establish that the students’ union will be restored immediately; it sets out a process for examining the issue and preparing a draft framework.
The committee’s formation comes as the protest continues and as students raise several demands beyond the union’s restoration. These include the revocation of disciplinary action and the resignation of the Chief Proctor. NSUI secretary Ebin Basil was hospitalised during a hunger strike, according to the report.
The development places the question of student representation within a formal administrative and legal process. The committee’s review of the 2006 dissolution, court rulings and the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations will determine the basis on which the university prepares its draft. The next stated milestone is the submission of that draft by December 20.
