Responding to the demand of students at Jamia Millia Islamia, the university Vice-Chancellor, Talat Ahmad, has agreed in principle to reinstate the students’ union on campus. However, he said that at present, his hands are tied as the matter is sub-judice.
He told students that legally, the only way to reinstate the union immediately was if the writ petition filed in the High Court in 2012 for holding students’ union election was withdrawn.
He informed that the other option was for students presently on the roll of the university to approach the High Court seeking urgent relief as an interested party in the matter.
The university said that the writ petition was listed in the category of regular matter for final hearing and the entire record and documents pertaining to the case were not available in the official records.
Official records
“The University applied for procurement of the records of this case on October 9. As soon as the official records are available from the High Court, the legal issues involved will be examined and necessary steps will be taken to resolve the issue as per the options available,” said the University.
The students were told that any action on the part of the students or the respondent university without the specific directive of the court in this issue would amount to contempt of the court.
Students of Jamia had carried out a protest requesting the administration to reinstate the students’ union of the university and declare the date of union elections by October 10. The students said that they had suffered immensely in the past 11 years after the scrapping of the students’ union in 2006.
The students had said they had no representation and no mechanism to ensure accountability of the decision-making bodies of the university towards the students.
