The Delhi High Court has questioned the blanket ban on protests and demonstrations on the Delhi University campus, seeking justification from the university and Delhi Police. The court acknowledged the need for balance but emphasized that a complete prohibition is likely untenable.
IIT Delhi Director Rangan Banerjee has warned students of disciplinary action for "disrupting the peaceful functioning of the campus" with "threatening slogans" during protests over an alleged student suicide. The protests escalated to faculty residential areas, prompting the institute to reconstitute its probe panel into the student's death.
A 19-year-old mechatronics engineering student was brutally murdered in Coimbatore, leading to a political controversy in Tamil Nadu. While his family alleges he was targeted for exposing drug abuse on campus, police and college management claim the attack stemmed from personal enmity and a retaliatory clash. Eight arrests have been made, and the issue was raised in the Legislative Assembly, with the Opposition demanding an inquiry into the conflicting narratives.
Students at Jamia Millia Islamia University protested an event marking 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), citing concerns over the 'saffronisation' of the campus and unequal treatment by the university administration.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) successfully protested an event featuring an ISKCON representative at the university's central library, leading to its cancellation. The JNUSU cited university rules prohibiting religious organisations from holding events on campus, a concern they had previously raised regarding ISKCON's activities.
Across India, Gen Alpha students (born between 2010 and 2024) are increasingly taking to the streets to protest against poor school infrastructure, lack of teachers, and unhygienic conditions, leading to some significant wins and drawing attention to the declining state of public education.
The mother of Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a 22-year-old IIT Bombay student found dead in his hostel room, has alleged her son was "tortured" and "killed," demanding justice, while the institute stated no disciplinary action was initiated against him after he was found using a mobile phone during an exam.
Girls at a government-run residential school in Lucknow staged a protest, the second in four days, demanding more teachers and better class conduct. The demonstration disrupted traffic, leading to official intervention and ongoing discussions with students regarding their grievances, which include a lack of science teachers despite approaching board exams.
The Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into the alleged suicide of a 22-year-old IIT Bombay student, Sahil Ravindra Wakode. Wakode was found dead after being caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during an exam. His parents have filed a complaint alleging institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination, leading to a protest by students. A professor has been named as an accused, and the Crime Branch is expected to summon them for questioning. This marks the third suicide at IIT Bombay in seven months.
The first phase of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) polls recorded a 36% voter turnout, with a keen contest between ABVP, NSUI, and the AISA-SFI alliance. Student concerns like accountability, affordable accommodation, and accessible administration were prominent, influenced by past protests. The election also saw allegations between student groups and extensive security arrangements.
A report by Scholars at Risk, 'Free to Think 2026', states that academic freedom in India is "severely restricted" due to increasing government influence over higher education, university governance, and curbs on student expression. India is listed among six countries in this category, with its Academic Freedom Index score sharply declining. The report cites instances of faculty dismissals, event cancellations, and pressure on student protests, highlighting the alleged use of the UGC as a vehicle for state influence.
The Mumbai Police has transferred the alleged suicide case of a second-year IIT Bombay BTech student to the Crime Branch after his father filed a complaint alleging casteist slurs and harassment by Professor Suryanarayan Dulla, who was also named in an FIR.
IIT Delhi has reconstituted the external probe panel investigating the death of an MSc Physics student, appointing retired Delhi High Court judge Mukta Gupta as its head. This decision follows the recusal of the previous chair, Ashok Kumar, and ongoing student protests on campus. The panel includes medical experts and student representatives to examine the circumstances of the alleged suicide.
Bollywood has captured the essence of India's youth activism and student protests, from fighting corruption in Yuvaa to demanding accountability in Rang De Basanti.
A tense situation prevailed at the Jharkhand secretariat on Wednesday after a large number of successful candidates, who are likely to be rendered jobless following the government's cancellation of recruitment examinations, forcibly entered the campus in defiance of a prohibitory order, an official said.
Hundreds of students at Sarvodaya Inter College in Kishanpur, Uttar Pradesh, staged a five-hour demonstration demanding basic facilities like safe drinking water, clean toilets, and functional fans, leading to the administration's assurance of immediate action.
Professor Subha Shankar Sarkar has resigned as the head of a five-member committee investigating alleged ABVP vandalism at Jadavpur University, citing his inability to conduct an effective inquiry, prompting the university to seek a new chairperson.
Some see in the CJP the potential of weakening the Opposition. Hence the BJP/RSS's 'softly softly catchee monkey' approach, with co-option being the ultimate aim, points out Aditi Phadnis.
A building collapse in Satya Niketan, near Delhi University, has prompted student and teacher organisations to demand a comprehensive safety audit of paying guest accommodations across the city. The incident has highlighted concerns over structural compliance, fire safety, illegal constructions, and inadequate living conditions for students.
The Modi government is launching a 'One Day, One University' programme, sending Union ministers to universities daily to engage with Gen Z, address their concerns, and inform them about government schemes. This initiative follows recent student protests over the NEET paper leak and aims to foster better understanding between the youth and the government.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant sharply criticised the Bar Council of India (BCI) for its 'uncalled for' interference in a protest by NALSAR University of Law students, asserting that students have a right to protest and that the matter was a 'dialogue between students and me'. The BCI had initially ordered that 2026 NALSAR graduates not be enrolled as advocates, an order it later reversed.
Poor families, she said, cut corners on their own needs to pay for coaching and fees, and when their child clears JEE, it's the happiest day the family has had in years. So why, she asked, her voice already starting to climb, does the same system that we're told is the best in the country keep pushing those very students toward what she called 'institutional deaths'?
A derogatory 'cockroach' remark by Chief Justice Surya Kant during a Supreme Court hearing inadvertently sparked a nationwide student movement, transforming an insult into a powerful symbol of protest that led to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has launched a nationwide protest from Pune, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged exam irregularities and delays. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk is also participating in the peaceful demonstration.
A third-year BTech student at IIT Guwahati died after allegedly falling from the fifth floor of a hostel building, prompting a police investigation into the circumstances of his death.
A pro-Kannada organisation allegedly vandalised a Hindi signboard in Bengaluru during a protest against the "imposition of Hindi". Police have registered an FIR against the activists for rioting and destruction of public property, with investigations ongoing.
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared her intention to return to Bangladesh in December, despite facing a death sentence and the risk of arrest. Speaking from India, she stated her goal is to restore democracy and justice, criticising the current state of affairs in Bangladesh and alleging that her government's collapse was due to organised violence. Her son also claimed Bangladesh is a "failed state" and a concern for India.
The Bar Council of India initially directed state bar councils not to enrol 2026 NALSAR University of Law graduates due to alleged student protests against the CJI's convocation participation. However, following widespread social media criticism, the BCI reversed its decision, allowing students to enrol while an inquiry into the instigators continues.
The Rajasthan government has issued an order restricting the entry of outsiders into government schools and barring photography and videography without prior permission, a move that follows protests over poor conditions and an announced inspection by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
From the record-breaking Dangal to the divisive Bawaal, here's a look at Nitesh Tiwari's five films ranked from worst to best.
A second-year student at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, was found dead in her hostel room, marking the fourth suspected student suicide in two months, triggering protests on campus.
The Students and Alumni of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru have opposed Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra attending the upcoming convocation of the varsity.
Students at VIT in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, protested against the alleged poor quality of food and water, which they claimed was causing jaundice. The protest turned violent, resulting in vandalism and arson on the college campus.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) cancelled permission for a discussion on a book authored by its former student Umar Khalid, currently jailed in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case, citing 'non-disclosure of full facts' about the event. The JNUSU condemned the decision as 'arbitrary and authoritarian', vowing to proceed with the discussion at an alternative venue.
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has launched a scathing attack on the Modi government, accusing it of responding to student demands for accountability and educational reforms with 'cowardice and wanton cruelty,' treating them as 'enemies of the nation.' She further alleged that the government has degraded India's education landscape and routinely chooses violence over dialogue.
Former TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh was assaulted by a mob in West Bengal after his arrest in connection with the alleged "hurried cremation" of an RG Kar hospital doctor. Ghosh, along with another accused, Sanjib Mukherjee, faced public anger and physical attacks while being escorted by police. The arrests follow a fresh complaint by the victim's father, alleging the former MLA's influence in forcing the cremation, an aspect now under renewed investigation.
You blurred the line between online and offline activism until supporting a cause became part of everyday culture. And something remarkable happened.
People who weren't participating didn't just disagree. Many felt they were missing out on being part of an important moment.
Education sector experts agree that using the "best technology" was essential to ensure students did not have to sit for an examination all over again because of a question paper leak.
The Allahabad High Court dismissed a petition filed by a businessman on behalf of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University regarding the demolition of its buildings, citing that the pleader was an outsider. Separately, the Moradabad Divisional Commissioner's court granted an interim stay on the demolition of 38 university buildings until the final hearing.
Several members of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) were detained after attempting to march towards the Ministry of Education to protest alleged institutional neglect in higher education.
