Students have also been fined ₹20,000 and barred from entering the campus for the winter and monsoon semesters of 2026
NEW DELHI – In an unprecedented move, the administration of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University in the national capital has rusticated all four current office-bearers of its students’ union, the JNUSU, effectively dissolving the elected body midway through its term.
The disciplinary action against students, including a former JNUSU president, has triggered strong reactions across the campus, with students and faculty questioning the process and proportionality of the decision, media reports said on Monday.
The rustication order, issued earlier this month, affects the union President Aditi Mishra, Vice-President Gopika Babu, General Secretary Sunil Yadav, Joint Secretary Danish Ali and former president Nitish Kumar. Each student has also been fined ₹20,000 and barred from entering the campus for the winter and monsoon semesters of 2026.
University authorities have linked the action to alleged vandalism during a protest held in November last year, when students opposed the installation of a facial recognition–based entry system at the university library. The losses from the incident are estimated at ₹20 lakh. The university has also warned that students providing shelter to the suspended members could face disciplinary action.
This suspension has left JNUSU without elected representatives until new elections are conducted. Student groups such as AISA and SFI have condemned the move, calling it a politically motivated crackdown on dissent. The suspension is seen as a response to protests against the proposed UGC Equity Regulations, which were recently stayed by the Supreme Court.
Several former students and faculty members have criticised the administration, arguing that JNU has been targeted because of its resistance to surveillance measures and its history of promoting progressive politics and critical debate.
The controversy comes at a time when right-wing media platforms have intensified criticism of the campus, while students continue to protest what they describe as violations of privacy and democratic rights.
