Ashoka University students protest new security rules. The measures reinstate the surveillance measures that ignited mass protests in January 2025, highlighting the precarious state of student dissent in the country.
On July 17, 2025, the Ashoka University Student Government (AUSG) posted a public statement opposing the university’s new security rules for the upcoming semester. These rules will come into effect from September 17, 2025, and apply to all students attending the summer term. The new rule says that anything larger than a wallet or purse can only be brought through Gate No. 2. Further, the students must get their bags scanned every time they enter campus.
The Student Government has strongly opposed this move. They say students were not properly involved in the decision. Although a Standing Committee was formed last semester to discuss such policies, the student representatives were treated as “audience.” Their votes were not counted. Later, they were also left out of important meetings and were not informed about the final decisions.
This is not the first time such rules have led to controversy. In January 2025, Ashoka students held a major protest against strict surveillance measures on campus. The administration had introduced sudden room inspections, searching of vehicles, belongings of taxi drivers and family members on move-in days, and increased monitoring under the claim of tackling substance use. Hundreds of students joined the protest. The movement eventually forced the administration to form a Standing Committee to include students in decisions that affect their everyday lives.
Now, students feel those promises have not been kept. In the latest statement, AUSG pointed out that:
The distrust between the Administration (especially the Residence Life Office) and the student body has increased exponentially in the past semester. The office has subjected students to punitive measures, including citing exceptional clauses of the Residence Life Policy to conduct invasive “inspections” in the residence halls while breathalyzing and subjecting students to urine tests before addressing their health concerns when they visit the infirmary. The reimposition of the invasive security protocol risks making the situation worse, discouraging students from accessing the campus health resources, fearing disciplinary action against them.
The Student Government said that better, non-punitive solutions were suggested by students and faculty, including the Ashoka Behavioural Insights Team. But these were ignored. They believe that the new rules could make students feel watched and unsafe, instead of supported. The statement ends with a call to action. The AUSG reminded students that similar surveillance measures had led to Ashoka’s largest-ever protest earlier this year. AUSG calls out to students, saying:
We urge you to stay vigilant and conscious, as this is not an isolated event and it certainly is not a matter of a minor inconvenience.
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Juhi Bansal