NEW DELHI: Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) has prohibited protests in its administrative area, a move that has sparked discontent among students, particularly the All India Students’ Association (AISA), which has been demanding the revocation of a student’s suspension.
An official notice issued by the university administration on Wednesday stated that protests and demonstrations would not be allowed from Gate No. 1 to the Dara Shikoh Library at the Kashmere Gate campus.
The notice emphasised the need to maintain a “peaceful and orderly environment,” designating the administrative zone as a non-protest area.
Instead, the university has allocated an area for peaceful gatherings, requiring prior intimation to the Proctor’s office.
In response, AISA released a statement condemning the decision, calling it an attack on students’ rights. “First a ban on a student, now a ban on students’ unity. The entire campus has been barricaded, movement restricted, and the administration has now banned protests near the Vice Chancellor’s office,” the students’ body said.
The controversy stems from the suspension of an MA Global Studies student, allegedly for using “derogatory and disrespectful language” against Vice Chancellor Anu Singh Lather. AISA has called the suspension an act of “political targeting” and “suppression of dissent,” continuing its protests despite the newly imposed restrictions.
According to AUD’s proctorial board, the student, affiliated with AISA, violated the university’s code of discipline by circulating critical remarks about the Vice Chancellor through the official university email system on January 28.
The disciplinary committee found the student guilty and issued a suspension order on March 21, barring the student from campus for the 2025 winter semester. AISA has strongly condemned the decision, alleging procedural lapses in the disciplinary process.
The organisation alleges the student received under 12 hours’ notice before the hearing, was unaware of the complainant’s identity, and faced a largely male disciplinary panel. AISA also claims religious identity was questioned and suggests the delayed suspension is politically motivated rather than
routine enforcement.