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NEET 2026 : AISA calls for Education Minister’s resignation amidst silence, protest at Jantar Mantar

By DU Beat May 15, 2026

All India Students’ Organisation (AISA) members held a protest at Jantar Mantar on Thursday against the NTA following the cancellation of NEET 2026. The National Testing Agency(NTA) has announced a re-examination in light of the paper leak.

Students of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) came together in protest against the National Testing Agency (NTA) at Jantar Mantar, Delhi today. This comes two days after the NTA officially cancelled NEET 2026 due to the paper leak, announcing a re-examination in the coming days.

Over 50 students gathered at the monument this Thursday, with many Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers present on site. Speaking on the paper leak, AISA-DU Secretary Anjali said that the “series of paper leaks over the years” were “manufactured and systemic”.

“NTA is an incompetent body. It outsources all its functions making it bound to corruption.” In conversation with DU Beat, she reasserted AISA’s demands for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign and for the NTA to be scrapped.

Students across the country have slammed the NTA’s decision on May 12 to cancel the exam following the paper leak.

“The current system starts and concludes with profit, resulting in the systematic collapse of this education system—be it slashing public funding of educational institutions, or the coaching-NTA nexus. We demand the decentralisation of exams to respective states and educational institutions.”

shared AISA member Abhishek Kumar with DU Beat.

The agency has urged students to wait for a revised schedule for re-examination, along with hall tickets, which will be released on official platforms. The NEET exam, an entrance examination for medical aspirants, was written by over 22 lakh students this year on May 3.

Other student organisations have also taken to the streets. Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest outside the NTA office in Delhi on Wednesday. They demanded action against the alleged irregularities within the system, with some students attempting to breach the security gates.

The student outfit of the Congress, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) similarly organised a protest outside Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s residence. The protestors demanded his immediate resignation and carried placards deeming him ‘paper chor’.

AISA’s Ranchi outfit also held a protest against the agency on Wednesday, with placards asserting that ‘Re-examination is not the solution’. NSUI president Vijay Jakhar asserted that the NTA had “shattered the dreams of millions” in conversation with The Hindu.

The government-ordered CBI enquiry into the matter has led to the arrest of seven accused of involvement in the leak so far. Following the registration of the case with the CBI on May 12th, several locations have been searched as part of investigations.

Initial investigations revealed an elaborate conspiracy, involving scanning and distribution beginning in Nashik and spreading across the country. The medical entrance test’s question papers were leaked using sophisticated technology, including portable scanners, a complex Telegram network and a shadow server. A PDF containing large parts of the paper was circulated as reported by NDTV.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has not responded to questions about the leak thus far. His silence has been met with frustration from students online and on ground. The NTA’s responses have also been discredited by student activists as ‘vague’ and unclear. Student agitation has only increased with many aspirants and their families expressing deep dissatisfaction with the cancellation of the exam.

A similar situation had taken place in 2024, where the NTA faced allegations of paper leaks owing to the unusual 720/720 score attained by multiple students. CBI inquiries then led to the arrest of 36 persons. However, the exam was not cancelled due to lack of evidence of a “systemic breach”, as stated by the Supreme Court. A repetition of paper leaks two years apart has been felt as lack of any improvement by many aspirants.

Image Source: Anjali (DU Secretary AISA)

Anjali Paruvu

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Features

Violence Erupts at Arts Faculty Protest: Journalist, Students Allege Assault

By DU Beat February 15, 2026

A pro-UGC protest turned into a scuffle between journalist Ruchi Tiwari and AISA members, with both sides alleging assault, caste-based targeting and police inaction.

Footage of a scuffle between student protestors and journalist Ruchi Tiwari went viral on Friday following an incident near the Arts Faculty of Delhi University during a pro-UGC guidelines public meeting. Both sides have since offered sharply opposing narratives, alleging physical assault, verbal abuse, threats and police inaction.

All India Students Association (AISA) Secretary Anjali shared her version on Instagram, condemning what she described as national media “painting her as a villain” and circulating incomplete footage. According to her, she noticed a scuffle near the protest site and saw Tiwari allegedly choking a man identified as Naveen, a Dalit journalist, while holding his phone. Anjali said she attempted to retrieve the phone when she was assaulted and briefly knocked unconscious. She further stated that AISA members tried to take Tiwari to file a complaint. Later, when Anjali went to Maurice Nagar Police Station to file an FIR, she alleged that a large mob gathered outside, engaged in physical violence, ripped clothes, banged on the police booth and issued rape threats. She also reported that her personal details, including her parents’ names and apartment location, were leaked online, leading to cyber abuse.

Tiwari, speaking to ANI, rejected what she termed “false narratives.” She said she had arrived near the Arts Faculty to cover the protest when a man allegedly recognised her from her YouTube videos and repeatedly asked her name and caste. She claimed a crowd of around 500 people surrounded and attempted to choke her, and that footage of her being chased came after she faced rape threats and intimidation. Tiwari describes herself as a ground reporter running a YouTube channel and alleged she was targeted on the basis of caste, citing taunts such as “Iska nanga naach hoga.” She maintained that multiple police officers were present during the scuffle but did not intervene, remarking there was “no protection for General Category.”

In a statement, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) alleged that a woman journalist associated with a YouTube channel was attacked around 2 pm while covering the protest. ABVP Delhi state secretary Sarthak Sharma claimed left-wing student activists manhandled her after she questioned protestors, further alleging that several involved were not Delhi University students and demanding strict action from police and university authorities. Meanwhile, police told PTI that a medico-legal case (MLC) has been filed and that investigation is underway. Both parties have accused the police of inadequate intervention; Anjali also claimed officers took her and fellow members’ phones to “calm down the crowd” while she was attempting to file a complaint.

The incident unfolded amid protests over the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) newly notified Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, which aim to curb caste-based discrimination in universities and colleges. The rules mandate that all Higher Education Institutions establish Equal Opportunity Centres (EOCs), equity committees, helplines and monitoring mechanisms to address complaints from SC, ST and OBC students, and fix accountability on institutional heads for compliance. The regulations are currently under consideration by the Supreme Court, which has put them on hold citing “vagueness” and potential misuse.

Delhi University Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh urged students and teachers to maintain harmony and avoid activities that “increase mutual discord,” appealing to the university community to await the Supreme Court’s decision and maintain trust in the Government of India. The regulations have drawn criticism from sections of general category students, including a group identifying as the “Savarna Sena,” who argue that the framework lacks clear provisions for grievances from upper-caste students and could lead to misuse.

Image Sources

Ruchi Tiwari – https://share.google/images/UKDi9Fq5ddD5JCwlY. Shared by IANS network on Twitter

Anjali – NDTV website

Anjali P

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Campus Central

DU Students Protest Fee Hike; AISA Submits Memorandum Seeking Immediate Rollback

By DU Beat January 28, 2026

Students of Delhi University, led by AISA, protest against the recent fee hike and submit a memorandum demanding its rollback, warning that rising costs threaten access to affordable public education.

Students at Delhi University, led by the All India Students’ Association (AISA), staged a protest on Thursday against what they described as an “arbitrary and repeated” increase in university fees, asserting that the hike will marginalise economically vulnerable students and make higher education less accessible.

The demonstration took place outside university premises after a recent notification from DU revised the university’s share in the consolidated fee from Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,100, marking an increase of more than 17 per cent within six months. This was the latest in a series of upward revisions, following a 20 per cent hike announced last year, and has triggered widespread concern among student groups.

Students participating in the protest chanted slogans and carried placards demanding a reversal of the fee increase. They argued that repeated hikes reflect a shift towards treating education as a paid service rather than as a guaranteed social right.

A delegation of protesters later met with officials from the office of the Dean of Students’ Welfare, where they submitted a memorandum seeking an immediate rollback of the latest fee increase. While the administration offered assurances during discussions, student leaders said similar responses had been given previously without yielding any substantive relief.

Sanatan, Vice-President of AISA DU, told The Hindustan Times that the administration’s handling of the fee structure signals a lack of commitment to inclusive education. He accused the university authorities of adopting a market-driven approach at the expense of students’ academic rights and welfare.

The issue of fee increases has emerged as a recurring flashpoint in student politics at DU. Critics of the hikes argue that they disproportionately affect students from marginalised communities and low-income families. They contend that incremental increases, especially within short time spans, exacerbate financial barriers to higher education and may deter prospective applicants.

DU’s administration has not yet issued a formal public statement addressing the protest or the demands made by student groups, including AISA. However, university officials are expected to review the memorandum and engage with student representatives in the coming days. Observers indicate that the administration will likely seek to balance financial sustainability with student welfare as discussions continue.

The protest underscores the ongoing tensions within Indian higher education institutions between student bodies advocating for equitable access and administrative decisions aimed at operational and infrastructural funding. As deliberations over the fee structure persist, students and campus organisations are monitoring developments closely.

Featured Image source – Devesh for DU Beat

Madhav Choudhary

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Students Allege Harassment Amid Backlash Over Palestine Solidarity Meet at SVC

By DU Beat October 14, 2025

AISA and Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Study Circle’s Palestine solidarity event at Sri Venkateswara College faced administrative backlash, with organisers allegedly harassed, threatened, and forced to sign undertakings by college authorities.

On 10th October All India Student’s Association organised a session with Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Study Circle in Sri Venkateswara College’s Rock Garden on the theme of ‘Marking Two Years of The Ongoing Genocide in Palestine’. The event was supposed to be a group discussion as well as poetry recitation in solidarity with Palestine. The college authorities, before the commencement of the session, allegedly called two of the organisers to their office. This incident is what the AISA states to be “harassment and an attempt to terrorise students.”

Witnesses claim that the authorities including the Principal and the Proctor first publicly scolded and humiliated the students in front of the whole college. Mr. Chetan, who is a professor at the Statistics department forcibly took students’ phones and made them unlock it without their consent impinging on their right to privacy. The students were allegedly made to share their contact details extensively. He made remarks of “Main tumhe ghar mein ghus ke marunga, dekhna tum” (“I’ll beat you up in your own house, you’ll see”) and “If you say any of this in class, I will shoot you.”

The Principal, Vajala Ravi, in response to this situation further allegedly warned the students with suspension and forced them to sign a written note stating that such sort of event wont be held again.

Image Credits- Instagram handle of AISA VENKY

Divyanshi Dusad

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Uncategorized

Rethinking the Left in DUSU Politics

By Sakshi Singh October 2, 2025

The electoral landscape of Delhi University continues to be marked by a paradox that has persisted for more than a decade. Left organisations such as SFI, AISA, and more recently DISHA, gain marginal votes. The results of the 2025 elections reinforce this trend: the ABVP secured three of the four principal offices, the NSUI captured the remaining post, and Left candidates trailed far behind the dominant blocs.

“On paper, the manifestos of all parties appear strikingly similar,” says a student. “Whether from SFI, AISA, ABVP, or NSUI, promises of affordable hostels, grievance redressal mechanisms, campus Wi-Fi, and improved gender-safety structures recur with regularity,” adds another. The difference, thus, lies in framing and perception: Left organisations articulate these demands through the idiom of democratisation and anti-privatisation, whereas ABVP and NSUI frame them as pragmatic matters of service delivery. The convergence of manifestos places the burden on credibility and trust. In this respect, students, based on our conversations, often regard the Left as effective in critique but deficient in demonstrating administrative efficacy.

The numerical results from 2025 starkly illustrate the challenge. The ABVP presidential candidate, Aryan Maan, won with approximately 59,882 votes; the NSUI contender followed with 15,500, while Anjali, the joint SFI-AISA candidate, polled a mere 5,385. In the vice-presidential race, NSUI prevailed with 29,339 votes, ABVP followed at 20,547, and the joint SFI-AISA alliance again remained in the low thousands. Similar patterns held in the contests for Secretary and Joint Secretary. Turnout, hovering around 39–40 per cent, suggests that disengagement remains a significant feature of DU’s electoral culture, with NOTA itself garnering several thousand votes in some contests. “This not only underscores the marginality of the Left but also highlights a pool of disaffected voters whose dissatisfaction, if organised, could alter the electoral balance,” adds a student from Lady Shri Ram College.

The deeper problem, however, lies less in raw numbers and more in institutional culture. Over the past 10–15 years, DU has been characterised by what many students themselves describe as a “career-first” ethos, an emphasis on examinations, placements, and credential-building. In this environment, the Left’s reliance on protest, sit-ins, marches, and symbolic agitation generates moral capital but also fatigue. A master’s student remarked that “these protests often felt alienating, repetitive, and disruptive.” The protest per se is not rejected; rather, its frequency and abstraction, particularly when extended to global or national issues, like the Gazan genocide, for instance, are perceived as less directly relevant to the everyday student experience. In this sense, DU contrasts sharply with JNU, where protest is understood as integral to intellectual life and is woven into the rhythm of hostel meetings and general body debates.

The perception of elitism compounds these structural disadvantages. Several college sub-groups of left-leaning parties belong to debating clubs and circles where English-speaking and politically articulate students dominate. While these networks provide rhetorical sophistication, they alienate a larger, more diverse student body. As one student put it, “it always feels like the debating society kids tell the rest of us what to think.”

The paradox is thus reinforced. At DU, the Left embodies critique, but critique does not convert into electoral capital. Unless the Left in DU can transform its style, demonstrating delivery, it will remain what it has been for over a decade: an articulate counterpublic, but not a governing force.

Image Credits: Sharanya for DU Beat

Sakshi Singh
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DUB News

Students of Jamia Milia Islamia University Detained during 17th Batla House Anniversary March

By DU Beat September 24, 2025

On Friday, September 19th, Delhi Police detained at least 12 students of Jamia Millia Islamia during a march being conducted to mark 17 years since the Batla House encounter. It is claimed that among those detained were AISA Delhi State President Saiyed Ishfaq, AISA Jamia Secretary Saurabh, and two other student leaders.

Students at Jamia stated that Friday’s march remained peaceful until it was disrupted near Gate No. 7 of the university. They alleged that police escorted them off campus and detained several participants. The All India Students’ Association (AISA) asserted that the detentions took place openly in the presence of the Jamia Nagar police station SHO. AISA further claimed that women students were among those held, and some were transported to locations far outside Delhi.

Police reported that the students were stopped only after the procession proceeded to move out of the college premises and raised what the requisite officers term “provocative slogans”.

The students said that the march has been organised every year, except during the COVID pandemic, in Jamia Nagar to demand a judicial inquiry into the 2008 encounter. “How ironic that when students even gather to remember one injustice, the state delivers another,“ AISA said.

The police, while denying these claims, stated that a student had tried to come off campus while shouting slogans, which is when 12 of them were detained. They were all released within two hours, the officer added, and no student is currently under detention.

Still, the incident has upset many on campus. Mishkat Tehrim, AISA President, said, “I thought we would be safe inside campus…” I have never seen something like this after the CAA-NRC protests.”

Saiyed Ishfaq, AISA’s Delhi State President, who was among those detained, also alleged that students were forcibly picked up and dropped far from the university.

The Jamia administration purposely left the gate open, creating confusion… I was detained on campus. Women students were dragged by guards…”

The Batla House encounter occurred on 19th September 2008, followed by numerous incidents of bomb explosions in Delhi, which resulted in the deaths of 39 individuals and injuries to 159. Delhi Police’s Special Cell, having received a tip-off, stormed into a flat in Jamia Nagar, where suspected terrorists had taken shelter. During the ensuing gunfight, Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and Head Constable Balwant Singh were wounded; Sharma later died of his injuries. Two men in the flat, Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid, were also killed.

Twenty-four-year-old Atif Amin was a student of Jamia Millia Islamia, and 17-year-old Sajid was an aspirant of Jamia School. Atif Amin was the chief bomber of the terrorist outfit ‘Indian Mujahideen’, which was responsible for terror attacks between 2007 and 2009 in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Surat and Faizabad.

On the second anniversary of the encounter, a shooting took place at the gates of Jama Masjid, in which two foreign tourists were injured; a car bomb with a failed timer was also found in the vicinity.

Image Credits: Muslim Mirror

Divyanshi Dusad
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Campus Central

Interview with Anjali | AISA Candidate | DUSU Elections 2025

By DU Beat September 16, 2025

DU Beat in conversation with Anjali, contesting for the post of President for Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) 2025, from the All India Students’ Association (AISA), as a part of the AISA-SFI panel. This interview was originally taken in Hindi and has been translated into English.

S: What, according to you, is the biggest challenge that university students face, and how would you work on improving it?

A: The biggest challenge is that there is a lack of trust between the students’ union and the student body as a collective. Students tend to think that student politics is limited to what they see around them, where being a part of the union is merely a launching pad for some and where hooliganism and muscle power dominate the scene. Access to quality facilities is also a huge issue—students spend more time studying VAC/SEC courses like Swach Bharat and Yoga, as opposed to their course of interest; the entire semester is taken up by multiple assessments under the IA/CA model, and with almost 45 marks being solely in the hands of the faculty, the democratic nature of the classroom is slowly eroding. Therefore, there is hooliganism on one hand and the eroding nature of education on the other, while the students suffer in the middle.

S: What are some key points within your election manifesto?

A: Every student comes here with the aspiration of building a future for themselves, irrespective of their socio-economic background. Our first and foremost demand is access to quality education. Students come to Delhi University with the aim of studying their disciplines of choice, like History, English, Political Science, Economics etc in depth, but under NEP, in the name of “value addition” and “skill enhancement”, they are being made to study courses like The Art of Being Happy, Fit India, Yoga, etc., which are all subjects that they could have easily studied on YouTube, without coming into a “premier institution” like Delhi University. Moreover, issues like the surveillance of teachers within academic spaces and discrimination in the classroom further raise a huge question on the accessibility, affordability and quality of education in the university.

In the same Delhi University that was historically known for its diverse social fabric and witnessed students coming from a variety of backgrounds, the UGC (University Grants Commission) has been replaced by HEFA (Higher Education Financing Agency), which has led to a 20-25 per cent fee hike every semester. These hikes seem to say, “Gareeb ghar ki aulad ho? Tumhare maa-baap rickshaw chalate hai, auto chalate hai? To bhool jaao ki Delhi Vishwavidyalaya mei tumhare liye koi jagah hai.” (You belong to a poor family? Do your parents drive an auto-rickshaw? Then forget that there is any space for you in Delhi University). So, fee hikes are another issue that we are and will continue to fight against.

This is the same University where Dhani Ram, a professor from Ramjas College, harasses a first-year student, enjoys impunity, and further threatens her by saying, “Tumhare sattar number kaat lunga.” (I will cut your 70 marks). I am a graduate from Indraprastha College for Women, and 2.5 years ago, in our college’s fest, 230 written complaints were filed with the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), despite which no action has been taken after the formation of a proctorial committee to date. We demand that all ICCs across colleges be functioning and democratic, with gender sensitisation workshops being made compulsory for the teaching faculty, non-teaching faculty, and the students.

Q. With increasing financial pressure on students, what steps would you advocate for better affordability?

Anjali: We strongly believe that the meaning of studying at Delhi University also means the ability to afford Delhi as a city, wherein the university itself is as big as a Lok Sabha constituency, consisting of North, South and Off-Campus colleges. Students from every corner of the country come to this university, but less than five per cent of students are able to get a hostel. The larger concerns about affordability and accessibility can only be addressed through the construction of more hostels.

In 2016 and 2017, the All India Students Association (AISA) launched a campaign titled “A Room of One’s Own”, showing higher authorities tracts of empty land which should have been, and can be, used for constructing hostels. In 2019, when a 39-storey building was constructed in front of the Vishwavidyala Metro Station, we protested and said, “McD, Pizza Hut ke bina zindagi chal jaayegi, Yaha hostel ka nirmaan kariye!” (We can live without McDonald’s and Pizza Hut. Make hostels here.)

A concessional metro pass is another demand. Travelling in a city like Delhi means that you have to spend around 100-120 rupees daily, and in this environment, just weeks ago, DMRC launched a notice increasing the token price in a range of Rs 1 to 4, depending on the distance. We are continuously fighting for concessional passes. We are from the student association that fought in 2017 to get concessional bus passes for students. Our model is that of resistance and continued struggle.

S: DU has a diverse student population across campuses, regions, and backgrounds. How will you ensure that voices from all corners of the university are included and represented?

A: If you look at the 2025 AISA-SFI panel and also the nature of politics that AISA represents, we have always fought for diversity and inclusion on the campus.

Even in this panel, Abhinandana hails from the northeast, Sohan worked as a security guard to pay his university fees, and Abhishek, whose parents came to Delhi in 2002, happened to fill out a form for the CRPF by chance and got a job through which he was able to get access to education. I hail from Gaya, Bihar, and in my village, most women have not studied beyond 12th. Even for my family, it is extremely difficult for them to understand why I am doing a master’s degree instead of focusing on marriage prospects. I feel that this resistance, the continued struggle for the education of all students of this university, is representative of its diversity.

Additionally, we are from the student association that stood against communal hatred when a Northeast shop was attacked in Vijayanagara. We are from the student association that, along with 200 other students, marched into the Principal’s cabin at SBSC, after he slapped a Dalit student, demanding an end to caste-based discrimination, demanding his resignation and demanding the implementation of the SC/ST act. From Dhani Ram to the IPCW protests, AISA has been there, bearing witness to incidents of police brutality and administrative proceedings. I think our collective resistance is living proof of the fact that elections will come and go, but it is forces like us who will continue to struggle and work.

S: What specific, achievable changes can you realistically deliver within your one-year term if elected, and how will you show that progress to students?

A: Definitely, as I said before, the very burning question right now is quality, affordability and inclusivity. We will work towards the reduction of IA weightage, the restoration of quality education, democratisation and proper functioning of ICCs, the conduction of regular elections and gender sensitisation workshops for the ICCs across every college, and the provision of concessional metro passes for each and every student of the university. We will also fight for the creation of more affordable hostels and resist the arbitrary rise in rents of PGs and flats, demanding the implementation of the Rent Control Act.

Read More: Interview with Abhinandana Pratyashi | SFI Candidate | DUSU Elections 2025

Interview by Sakshi Singh

[email protected]

Image Credits: DU Beat

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Campus Promises: ABVP, NSUI, and SFI–AISA Manifestos 2025

By DU Beat September 15, 2025

With the Delhi University Students’ Union elections approaching, major student organisations have released their manifestos announcing promises, reflecting issues, and revealing both overlaps and contrasts in priorities.

There are significant variances as well as obvious parallels between the ABVP, NSUI, and SFI-AISA coalition manifestos. The goals of these three parties are to solve persistent problems in Delhi University politics, such as women’s safety, campus infrastructure, and affordability. However, each uniquely presents its strategy, answering critiques of earlier DUSU terms and reflecting its ideological foundations.

Student health and welfare have been foregrounded more strongly this year. ABVP explicitly promised, “subsidised health insurance schemes for students”, a measure that responds to recurring demands for affordable healthcare after years of rising living costs. NSUI brought the conversation into the gendered domain, with its women’s manifesto pledging, “helpline numbers, menstrual health awareness, sanitary pad vending machines, and proper gender sensitivity measures.” The SFI-AISA alliance combined health and gender justice, promising menstrual leave and insisting on institutional structures like, “elected Internal Complaints Committees and gender sensitisation cells in all colleges”.

The only organisation to make a specific commitment on digital access is ABVP, which has pledged “free Wi-Fi access for university students.” Although the Left alliance and NSUI did not use the same language to emphasise Wi-Fi, they both emphasised infrastructure and accessibility in more general terms, implying a move away from band-aid technological solutions and towards structural reforms.

The affordability debate remains central, carrying forward unresolved issues from past years, such as fee hikes and opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP). The SFI-AISA alliance has taken the clearest stance, stating that it has, “pledged to oppose fee hikes” and presenting its programme as ‘a true student-centric manifesto.’ NSUI echoed this with calls for, “public funding for equitable education” and a rejection of NEP-linked restructuring. ABVP, while not quoted as directly opposing fee hikes, emphasised subsidised schemes and improved facilities.

Women’s safety and inclusion, an issue repeatedly raised after incidents on campus in previous years, has again appeared prominently. NSUI’s separate women’s manifesto is notable in its detail, listing concrete measures like, “helpline numbers, menstrual health awareness, sanitary pad vending machines, and proper gender sensitivity measures.” The SFI-AISA alliance, in line with its activist tradition, focused on structural reform: “elected Internal Complaints Committees and gender sensitisation cells in all colleges.” ABVP’s framing was broader, with its candidate speeches highlighting campus safety and “accessibility audits for students with special needs.”

Finally, housing and hostels continue to be a major theme, reflecting perennial shortages and past protests by outstation students. ABVP’s manifesto directly included, “construction of new hostels to accommodate growing student needs.” NSUI’s broader call for inclusive infrastructure implicitly covered hostel provisions, while SFI-AISA explicitly folded hostel expansion into its demands for resisting privatisation.

While all parties echo recurring demands like safety, hostels, and digital access, their manifestos also respond to past gaps, some promising continuity, others pledging fresh reforms to long-standing student concerns.

Image Credits: Manan for DU Beat

Anjali Kumari Jha
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SFI and AISA Forge Alliance for DUSU Elections, Vow to Challenge ‘Money and Muscle Power’

By DU Beat August 30, 2025

SFI and AISA announce an alliance for the upcoming DUSU elections, fighting fee hikes, privatisation, and money power in DU politics, with their campaign focusing on affordable education, student welfare, and resisting RSS-ABVP influence on campus.

In a significant development ahead of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students’ Association (AISA) on Wednesday announced a pre-poll alliance, declaring their intent to counter what they termed the dominance of “money and muscle power” in campus politics.

At a joint press conference held at the Press Club of India, the two Left-affiliated student outfits said they would contest the polls on a common platform, highlighting issues of affordability, quality education, and student welfare. Under the seat-sharing arrangement, AISA will field candidates for the posts of president and joint secretary, while SFI will contest the vice president and secretary positions.

Aishe Ghosh, SFI’s Delhi State Secretary, underlined the alliance’s commitment to challenging the prevailing campus political culture. She further added that,

SFI and AISA have been the frontal forces against the domination of money and muscle in DU politics. Last year, too, our panel polled nearly 9,000 votes, asserting a strong third pole in DUSU. This time as well, fighting for accessible and quality education, the AISA and SFI will contest on a joint platform of student struggles.

Echoing this sentiment, AISA’s Delhi University president Saavy criticised the current education policies, alleging that universities were facing “an all-out attack” under the present dispensation.

The four-year undergraduate programme has diluted the content and quality of education. There are rabid fee hikes across courses and colleges. The recent metro fare hike will hit students the hardest. Both organisations have come together to make this election a struggle for affordability and quality in the university.

The alliance has announced a “DU Mahapanchayat” on September 2 to press for their demands. These include the rollback of fee hikes, concessional metro passes for students, adequate hostel facilities, functional internal complaints committees in every college, and an end to what they described as “bogus SEC and VAC courses” and the current internal assessment scheme.

The leaders of SFI and AISA also accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), of using Delhi University as a “laboratory” for the past decade. They pledged to challenge what they termed the “RSS-ABVP nexus of privatisation and saffronisation of education”.

With the alliance positioning itself as a “third pole” in DU politics, the upcoming elections are expected to witness a keen contest, as issues of accessibility, affordability, and academic quality take centre stage.

Featured Image Source: DU Beat

Richa Choudhary

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Communal Flashpoint at SAU: ABVP Members Allegedly Assault Students Over Non-Veg Food

By DU Beat February 27, 2025

A violent altercation allegedly erupted at South Asian University (SAU) on Wednesday when members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) reportedly clashed with students, including women, and mess staff over the serving of non-vegetarian food on Maha Shivratri.

According to reports, tensions had been brewing in the days leading up to Maha Shivratri as ABVP members insisted that only ‘sattvik’ food be served in the university mess, citing religious sentiments. However, the mess committee decided to provide both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options to accommodate all dietary preferences. Despite this, the issue allegedly escalated when ABVP members, led by Ratan Singh, Anshul Sharma, and Ram Sharma, entered the mess and confronted the staff and students.

They had been discussing this in WhatsApp groups for days. We ensured vegetarian food was available, so why should others be forced to follow their dietary choices?
– Yashada, the mess secretary and a master’s student

She further alleged that Ratan Singh threw food on the floor and later turned violent, physically assaulting her.

The incident has drawn strong reactions from various student groups. The All India Students’ Association (AISA) condemned the attack, stating:

This is a strategic attempt to instill divisive hate. The ABVP-Admin-BJP nexus stands exposed as no action has been taken against the alleged perpetrators. The demand for separating non-veg food reeks of casteism.

Despite multiple complaints, SAU’s administration has yet to issue a statement on the matter. Students have accused the Dean and Proctor of allegedly shielding ABVP members from accountability. Yashada had reportedly filed a harassment complaint against Ratan Singh earlier, supported by video evidence, but no action was taken.

ABVP, however, denied the allegations, claiming that left-wing students instigated the altercation.

Students observing a fast on Maha Shivratri had requested sattvik food. 110 students had written to the administration, and their request was granted. When they were eating in a separate space, a left cadre member and mess representative allegedly brought fish curry and started arguing. When they were requested to eat elsewhere, she allegedly created a scene and threw food at them; this was intentional, just like the disruption of the Diwali celebrations at Jamia. Those who thrive on division feel threatened by cultural harmony among students.
– an ABVP representative

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has called for the immediate suspension of those allegedly involved and a thorough investigation into past complaints.

Students allege that the attack reflects a pattern where right-wing groups resort to violence while the administration remains unresponsive.

What happened at SAU is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader attempt to create divisions among students in university spaces. The lack of action against those accused of violence is deeply concerning.
– An AISA representative

Calls for an impartial investigation into the incident have intensified, with student organisations demanding that the university administration take decisive steps to address the alleged assault and ensure accountability. As of now, no official statement has been released by SAU authorities regarding the incident.

Featured Image Credits: The Indian Express

Ritobrita Mukherjee for DU Beat

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