JNU administration targeting elected student leaders over surveillance protests, says students’ union
New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) has accused the university administration of targeting elected student representatives after Delhi Police served enquiry notices to current and former union office bearers over protests against surveillance measures in the campus library.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the notices followed an FIR lodged by the JNU administration against several student leaders, including JNUSU president Aditi Mishra, vice president Gopika, general secretary Sunil, joint secretary Danish and former JNUSU president Nitish Kumar.
Speaking to media, Mishra said that the JNUSU office bearers had been summoned for questioning at the police station. In a statement, the students’ union said the enquiry notices were issued in retaliation for their opposition to the installation of facial recognition cameras and magnetic entry gates at the central library, a move, they argue is designed to silence student voices and intimidate activists.
The union also linked the current action to long-standing demands related to the condition of the library. According to the statement, students have repeatedly flagged what they call the “disastrous condition” of the facility, citing fund cuts and administrative neglect. For years, they have demanded more books, increased seating capacity and longer library hours.
Instead of addressing these issues, the union said, the administration chose to focus resources on surveillance infrastructure, which students believe restricts movement and infringes on privacy rights.
The installation of magnetic gates began in August 2025 without prior consultation with students. Protests led by the union forced the administration to remove the gates at that time. Library officials later assured students that any future changes would be made by an independent committee that would include student representation. However, the union claims that this assurance was violated when the gates were reinstalled during the JNUSU elections in November 2025, a period when much of the campus was focused on the election process.
Following the reinstallation, the newly elected JNUSU leadership organized protests, and the union alleges that in response, the administration issued proctorial notices and filed police complaints against the student leaders.
The JNUSU has condemned the move, calling it a “dastardly attack” on student activism. The union has demanded the immediate withdrawal of all cases against the student leaders.
