Hansraj College administration has gone on a spree of suspending multiple students to allegedly silence their voices and prevent future protests, taking any form of online criticism as “defamation” and participation in protests as “indiscipline”.
The administration of Hansraj College, University of Delhi, has issued orders of suspension for multiple students across departments and years on the grounds of alleged violence, indiscipline, defamation, and misconduct. Among those suspended include the former Students Union President, Parth Srivastava, as well as the current Students Union.
The series of suspensions released by the college administration from 21st April onwards has been issued to nearly 30 students, with the first order released against Mr. Parth Srivastava on grounds of “acts of indiscipline, including defamation of the institution and use of derogatory language against Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff.” The notice further read that Mr. Srivastava was allowed “multiple opportunities to appear before the Committee along with his parents which he failed to attend” in light of which he shall not be permitted to enter the college campus nor participate in any academic or related activities.
The second list of suspensions were issued to nearly 14 students in light of the chaos that ensued at Hansraj College annual fest, Confluence 2026. The notice alleges “violence, misconduct, and breach of discipline” by the list of students and pronounces the suspension as interim.
Following this, the college issued an additional order of suspension for 4 students alleging ” physical violence, misconduct, and breach of discipline” in light of incidents on 15th April. On 23rd April, the college released a follow-up list suspending nearly 7 students for “acts of defaming the College through social media platforms and engaging in activities that have adversely affected the academic
environment of the institution.”
A student facing suspension, in a conversation with the Editorial Team of DU Beat, said,
“The administration did not inform us of our suspension either by mail or a show cause notice. We found out that we were suspended from a notice circulated in college. The suspension seems intentional considering most of the suspended students were probable candidates for the upcoming election, especially those with 70% and above attendance. The administration justifies the suspension on grounds of public defamation of the college on social media, which seems to be nothing but a hindrance of our democratic rights”.
He however clarified that students were not targeted by their political affiliations as common misinformation is alleging. He added that students across parties like SFI and ABVP had been suspended, however, the protests by ABVP led to the setting up of an emergency committee for inquiry.
The final list of suspended students released on 25th April include the current Students Union members of Hansraj College. The notice prohibits their entrance on college premises but allows their appearance for all examinations and internal assessments.
Abhijit Singh, the President of Hansraj Students’ Union, in an exclusive interview with DU Beat, prior to his suspension said,
These suspensions are intentional and are aimed towards curtailing the democratic rights of the students. Most of the suspended students were probable candidates for the upcoming Union election, and the administration’s suspension was a move to prevent them from being elected and continue the voice of dissent for the students’ rights. Many more students were more actively involved in the protests; however, they have not been suspended as they were not probable candidates for the election.”
He adds,
The administration said that a committee was set up to select the students for suspension; however, no such notice was sent to either the Union or the suspended students, and the orders of suspension were directly rolled out.”
However, Singh declared that a show-cause notice had been issued to the officer bearers of the Students Union which led to him believing that they too would be suspended, which took place within the upcoming days.
This series of unrest among the student body and dwindling trust between the college authorities and students can be traced back to February 2026, when campus infrastructure was used for the wedding of the principal’s son. This use of public resources for a private event became the starting point for a long series of events that continued to generate unrests amongst the student body. The second wave of controversy was sparked by allegations of NIRF data manipulation. Parth Srivastava, a student from Hansraj, filed an RTI for the same. As Hansraj’s annual college fest, Confluence 2026, approached, further chaos erupted, as strict regulations, including a restriction on inviting external artists and an early conclusion of the fest were imposed sparking an outrage that involved 20 hours of overnight protest demanding that the administration uphold its previous commitments. Eventually, the administration gave in, however, on Day 2 of the fest, poor crowd management led to physical violence, harassment, and uncontrolled chaos which led to police intervention.
After the fest, the administration took action and issued these series of suspensions that has left the student body of Hansraj College bewildered and in fear. In a conversation with a student from Hansraj she says,
If actions of alleged physical violence and online “defamation” are given the same degree of punishment by the college authorities then the future of student democracy and freedom of expression within the campus is in question. This process of protests and followed suspensions has become cyclical as students are constantly threatened with suspension and no internal marks if they participate in such protests.
Read Also: Hansraj College Fest Witnesses Chaos; Alleged Stabbing and Fights Ensued
Image Credits: Hansraj College Website
