Published Jul 24, 2026 | 1:34 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 24, 2026 | 1:41 PM
Protest at Jantar Mantar (CJP/ X)
Synopsis: As the Jantar Mantar protests have intensified, the central universities are attempting soft intimidation to discourage the students and faculty from taking part in the demonstrations.
As the country’s students and youth continue to occupy the Jantar Mantar, refusing to back down from their demands, including the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak, central universities have issued statements advising them to stay away from protest sites and cautioning them regarding legal and disciplinary consequences.
The latest such advisory was issued by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Friday, 24 July.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, the JNU administration advised the students and faculty to abide by the Supreme Court of India’s directions on public demonstrations and stay away from Jantar Mantar.
“All stakeholders of JNU’s epistemic community are advised to act responsibly and prioritise their personal safety. In accordance with the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India’s directions on public demonstrations, you are requested to refrain from participating in or visiting gatherings at or around Jantar Mantar, New Delhi,” the university said.
Advisory
All stakeholders of JNU’s epistemic community are advised to act responsibly and prioritize their personal safety. In accordance with the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India’s directions on public demonstrations, you are requested to refrain from participating in or visiting…— Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) (@JNU_official_50) July 24, 2026
It also threatened students with disciplinary action in case of violations while also urging them to exercise caution on social media.
“Please exercise responsibility on social media. Violations may invite legal consequences under applicable laws as well as disciplinary action under the University’s code of conduct. You are also encouraged to uphold the values of academic responsibility and responsible citizenship,” the university said.
Also Read: Why traditional media is at the receiving end at the Jantar Mantar protests
In a similar advisory issued on Wednesday, the University of Delhi also urged students not to participate in the protests, cautioning them regarding legal action.
“Dear students and faculty, your safety matters to us. Please note that any unlawful assemblies or demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, which are strictly regulated as per the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, may invite legal action,” the university said.
“Such activities can also pose serious risks to students’ personal safety and significantly impact their academic progress and professional opportunities. Accordingly, all students are urged to stay away from Jantar Mantar and to prioritise their safety and compliance with the law. Furthermore, you are advised to exercise caution as a significant amount of fake and misleading content is being created and circulated to fuel the situation,” it added.
Dear students and faculty, your safety matters to us. Please note that any unlawful assemblies or demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, which are strictly regulated as per the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, may invite legal action. Such activities can…
— University of Delhi (@UnivofDelhi) July 23, 2026
Days earlier, on July 20, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee issued an advisory asking students to refrain from posting any political content on their social media accounts or through any other media platforms, in a way that might affect the institute’s relationship with the central government or any organisation.
“It has been noticed on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook that some of the campus inmates have shown their affinity with political movement like the one currently in public utterance and criticism,” the institute said.
“It is engraved in the notified conduct rules that no student or employee will be allowed to join political discussions or participate in any political activity without permission from the institute or make any statement or any opinion in any media in public utterance which is capable of embarrassing the relations between the institute and the Central government or any organisation,” the advisory read.
After widespread backlash, IIT Roorkee issued a clarification claiming that the advisory was misunderstood.
“The communication being referred to is an internal advisory circulated among students, faculty, and staff at the commencement of each academic session. Similar advisories are routinely issued every year in accordance with the Institute’s existing notified conduct rules and do not constitute any new directive or policy,” the institute said in a statement.
Also Read: Delhi’s Jantar Mantar: From stargazing to platforming dissent
The directives issued by the DU and the JNU have also ignited widespread criticism, including from the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who lashed out at the university for threatening students.
“How dare you threaten students for exercising their democratic rights? Please note, you are the ones that will be held accountable when the time comes,” the Congress MP said in a post on X, sharing the DU advisory.
Slamming the directive, author and political commentator Yamini Aiyar said in a post on X, “Waah waah!! The upside of our really rotten education system is that Gen Z learnt little in the classroom and therefore learnt to think and act for themselves. They know the difference between right and wrong and have SPINE.”
The attempts by the universities to allegedly pressurise the students came as the protests at the Jantar Manatar, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) garnered further support after the Delhi police and central forces attemped a violent crackdown on the protesters on Monday, leaving several injured.
(Compiled by Fayisa CA)
