New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia has constituted a committee to draft the constitution of its students’ union while protests over student representation continue on campus.The decision was taken Wednesday following a meeting chaired by vice-chancellor Mazhar Asif and attended by members of the seven-member high-level committee formed on Oct 18, along with senior university officials.The committee will examine the circumstances leading to the dissolution of Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union in 2006, relevant court orders, the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations on student union elections, and the university’s applicable statutes and ordinances.The move comes amid protests at the university, with students demanding the restoration of students’ union elections. The current agitation has been under way since Oct 12.The university said its high-level committee held discussions with student representatives on Oct 20 to hear their grievances and incorporate their suggestions into the meeting minutes. However, the students did not agree to sign the minutes, it added.The administration also expressed concern over the defacement of the Ghalib statue and damage to university property, including gates, walls and building facades. It appealed to students to exercise their right to peaceful protest “responsibly”.The administration said it was committed to resolving the issue through dialogue and examining students’ representation within the existing legal and institutional framework. It has also deployed a medical team to monitor the health of students on hunger strike and stationed an ambulance at the protest site.
