Why Are Ambedkar University Students Protesting At Kashmere Gate Campus?

Students at Ambedkar University Delhi’s Kashmere Gate campus have been protesting over demands ranging from unrestricted campus access and basic facilities to faculty shortages, student representation and rules governing PhD scholars, with the standoff entering its second week and escalating into a dispute over security restrictions and allegations of manhandling involving students and guards.

The protest began on September 28, with the sit-in organised by the AUD Student Council Karampura and the Joint Action Committee of AUD PhD scholars, while the All India Students’ Association (AISA) has also backed the agitation. The agitation followed opposition to two July 31 university circulars, including one introducing attendance and whereabouts requirements for full-time PhD scholars receiving fellowships and another requiring advance notice for public gatherings, and has since expanded into a broader dispute over campus access, student representation and academic facilities.

Students have accused the administration of restricting access to the campus and preventing food and drinking water from reaching protesters. The university has defended its security arrangements, saying personnel were following established procedures, and has alleged that some students manhandled security guards. The administration has also maintained that it remains in dialogue with the protesters.

The protest began over July 31 circulars

The immediate dispute began with a July 31 order concerning attendance requirements for full-time PhD scholars receiving fellowships. On September 24, the university put the attendance-cum-whereabouts registry for PhD scholars in abeyance, citing infrastructure constraints. Students, however, continued to demand a complete rollback of the July 31 circulars.

The attendance issue, however, is only one part of the protesters’ wider list of demands.

Students have demanded the reopening of the university’s main gate for regular student access and the removal of iron gates and barricades installed inside the campus. They have argued that these arrangements restrict movement and create a physical separation between students and the administration.

They have also demanded the restoration of the PhD fee waiver, which they say was discontinued, and the withdrawal of restrictions governing protests and public gatherings on campus. Another major demand is greater student representation in university decision-making bodies.

The protesters have also raised concerns over basic facilities and academic infrastructure, including drinking water, sanitation, classrooms and workspaces for students and research scholars.

Faculty shortages are another issue. Students have alleged that some courses began without teachers being available, while a shortage of classrooms has contributed to timetable clashes. Concerns have also been raised about the availability of suitable workspaces for PhD scholars.

The Indian Express reported that students said the problems were affecting their academic work and reflected wider concerns over basic facilities and academic resources.

Students raise wider campus concerns

The university’s security arrangements have become one of the most contentious parts of the protest.

Students have objected to the closure of the main entrance and the use of a rear entrance. They have also opposed internal iron gates and barricades, arguing that these restrict students’ movement around the campus.

According to accounts cited by the Indian Express, protesting students have described the barricading as excessive and have demanded that registered students be allowed unrestricted access to the university.

The administration has given a different explanation for the restrictions. It has said security arrangements are necessary to maintain safety and that students have been asked to use designated entry points. The university has also said that some areas, including the library and computer laboratories, were closed because of maintenance and safety considerations.

The administration has further argued that protesters were occupying an area close to classrooms and the library and had been asked to move to a designated location for demonstrations.

Students argue that the restrictions are affecting ordinary academic activity and their ability to access university spaces, while the administration maintains that the measures are necessary to balance the right to protest with campus safety and academic functioning.

Security dispute escalates over food and access

Tensions increased when students and supporters attempted to take food and drinking water to those participating in the sit-in.

Students alleged that security personnel stopped food from being taken inside the campus and manhandled some students who attempted to deliver supplies.

The university has disputed the students’ account.

According to the administration’s version, security personnel were checking items being brought through the gate, particularly when deliveries were being made outside normal hours. The university said such checks were part of its security procedures.

The administration also alleged that some students manhandled security guards during the confrontation and said the matter had been brought to the notice of the Delhi Police.

The disagreement over the security arrangements has therefore become a separate issue within the larger protest. Students are demanding accountability for the conduct of security personnel, while the administration has maintained that guards were carrying out their duties under established procedures.

The university has also urged students and other stakeholders not to spread what it considers misinformation about the protest and the administration’s actions.

University says talks with protesters are continuing

There has been movement on the PhD attendance dispute, but the broader standoff has not been resolved. On September 30, the university issued a revised office order superseding the July 31 notification, giving full-time PhD scholars receiving fellowships greater flexibility while retaining requirements for academic engagement, including relevant coursework and seminars.

The university has maintained that it is engaging with the protesters and considering demands that can be addressed within its rules and regulations. It has also defended its security measures and said its actions are intended to ensure safety and maintain academic functioning.

Students, however, have continued to demand changes to campus access, the removal of physical barriers, improvements to infrastructure, action on faculty shortages, restoration of the PhD fee waiver, greater student representation and withdrawal of the July 31 circulars.

With the wider demands still unresolved, the standoff at the Kashmere Gate campus continues.