The students’ body says the crackdown exposes the authoritarian reflex of the state when confronted with legitimate demands for social justice in higher education
NEW DELHI – The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has strongly condemned the “brutal and unprovoked assault” by Delhi Police on the student body’s peaceful march to the Union Ministry of Education on Friday.
The organisation termed the police action a blatant attack on democratic rights, pointing to the arbitrary detention of SFI national president Adarsh M Saji, Joint Secretary Aishe Ghosh, CEC members Sooraj Elamon and Abhijith ML, Delhi state committee members, along with more than 100 students.
According to SFI, the crackdown exposes the authoritarian reflex of the state when confronted with legitimate demands for social justice in higher education. “The arrest of elected student representatives and peaceful protesters reflects a government that prefers coercion over dialogue and repression over reform,” the CEC said in a statement.
The march was organised to demand the strengthening and effective implementation of the UGC Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, decisive action against entrenched caste discrimination on university campuses, and the enactment of the Rohith Vemula Act to ensure institutional accountability. SFI noted that repeated instances of discrimination, exclusion, and student suicides have already been acknowledged in multiple official committees and reports, yet the government continues to evade responsibility.
“Instead of addressing the structural caste oppression embedded within higher education institutions, the government has chosen to unleash police violence on students,” the organisation said, accusing the Centre of capitulating to casteist forces while systematically silencing voices demanding equality and justice.
The SFI reiterated that mere regulatory frameworks are meaningless without political will, statutory backing, and enforceable accountability mechanisms. “Equity cannot remain a slogan. Without concrete action, universities will continue to reproduce social hierarchies rather than challenge them,” the statement asserted.
Warning of intensified resistance, the Left student wing announced that it would step up its nationwide agitation until the principles of equity, dignity, and justice are realised in India’s higher education system. “Students will not be intimidated into silence. The struggle for a discrimination-free campus and democratic education will continue,” the organisation said.
