Amid hunger strike, Jamia forms panel to hold talks with students

According to the university, the panel will engage with protesting students, examine their demands and recommend steps towards resolving the ongoing stand-off.

Addressing the long-standing demand for student union elections, the administration said the elections were discontinued in 2006 following recurrent violent clashes, attacks on teachers and disruptions to academic activities.

However, the administration said it remained committed to finding an amicable resolution to the nearly two-decade-old impasse.

The university further highlighted its existing system of departmental student representation, under which students elect a vice-president, general secretary and joint secretary through secret ballots in their respective departments and centres.

The administration described this arrangement as a democratic mechanism that had served students over the years, even as demands for the restoration of a university-wide student union continued.

The university said it was committed to resolving the matter through constructive dialogue based on mutual trust and understanding and sought cooperation from protesting students and other stakeholders.