Jamia Millia Islamia: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has urged the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia to order the immediate suspension and removal of Assistant Proctor Maqsood Ahmad Malik. The student body has called for an independent, impartial inquiry into serious allegations of physical assault, intimidation, and harassment directed at students residing in the university's J&K Girls' Hostel. The controversy stems from ongoing protests over poor food quality, unhygienic conditions, and the repeated discovery of foreign objects, such as insects and glass fragments, in meals served at the hostel mess.
According to student representatives, despite prior administrative assurances to terminate the existing mess vendor's contract and recruit female mess staff, the university re-engaged the same vendor under a different name while retaining male staff. The situation got out of hand in the middle of night protests as Assistant Proctor Malik supposedly manhandled and assaulted students in the vicinity of the Dean of Students’ Welfare office and snatched away a student’s cell phone while recording the incident. However, the administration denied allegations of assault, instead blaming the protestor students for breaking down hostel gates and manhandling the proctorial staff.
Jamia Millia Islamia: Overview of the Controversy
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Core Demands of Protesters: The demands being made by JKSA and other student unions including AISA are suspension of the assistant proctor, canceling the current contract for mess vendor, recruitment of women staffers in Jammu & Kashmir Girls' Hostel and ensuring that no action will be taken against protesting students.
Origin of Protest: These protests started due to reports by the students of the J&K Girls' Hostel about low quality of food having insects and other things in it.
Accusations: The student unions are accusing the assistant proctor for beating up the students and intimidating them near the office of Dean of Students' Welfare (DSW) and also snatching one student's mobile when he was recording the whole event.
Counter Claim: The administration of Jamia Millia Islamia University has denied the claims of assault and alleged that protesters had broken down the gates of hostels, manhandled proctorial staff and organized protests outside the allocated zones.
