DU bans all protests on campus for one month

The ban follows clashes during a demonstration against the Supreme Court’s stay on the UGC Equity Regulations, 2026.

Delhi University (DU) on Tuesday announced a complete ban on demonstrations, and protests on campus for a month with immediate effect from February 17. In an order issued by the office of the proctor on Tuesday, the university said the decision aims to prevent “threats to human life” and “disturbance of public peace”.

Students from Delhi University protest against the new UGC rule on January 28. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

“...All students, faculty members, and staff of the University of Delhi that public meetings, processions, demonstration, and protests of any kind are strictly prohibited within the university campus for a period of one month,” DU proctor Manoj Kumar Singh stated in the directive issued on Tuesday. HT has accessed a copy of the order.

“The order is issued in view of information received indicating that unrestricted public gatherings, processions, or demonstration on campus may lead to obstruction of traffic, threats to human life, and disturbance of public peace,” it added.

Speaking to HT, Singh said the move was aimed at preventing a repeat of the February 13 incident on DU’s North Campus that turned violent. “We want peace and order in DU campus. The decision is taken to ensure that there is no repetition of February 13 incident,” said Singh.

The ban follows clashes during a demonstration against the Supreme Court’s stay on the University Grants Commission (UGC) Equity Regulations, 2026. The protest, held on Friday at North Campus, escalated after an influencer who was covering the event, alleged she was assaulted. Student groups, however, accused her of provoking tensions. Police registered cross FIRs at Maurice Nagar police station under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to assault and voluntarily causing hurt.

Videos of the incident circulated widely on social media, intensifying debate over the regulations. On January 29, the Supreme Court had stayed the operation of UGC’s equity regulations, observing that the new framework was capable of dividing society and could have “dangerous impacts” if exploited by mischievous elements.

The regulations, notified on January 13, mandate the creation of equal opportunity centres and equity committees in universities and colleges to address complaints of discrimination and promote inclusion.

The university’s blanket ban on agitation has drawn sharp criticism from sections of faculty and student groups.

Student organisations including the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) criticised the ban, terming it an attempt to curb freedom of speech on campus.

NSUI national president Varun Choudhary said that the move is part of the broader agenda to control independent thought, weaken public institutions, and suppress dissent. “This is a calculated attempt by the government to crush the democratic spirit of campuses and silence SC, ST, and OBC students who are raising their voices for social justice and equitable implementation of UGC regulations. The Constitution guarantees the right to protest. No arbitrary administrative order can override democratic rights,” he said.

On the other hand, Sarthak Sharma, state secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), said his organisation remains focused on student issues. “Our commitment is towards students and their concerns. We will raise our voice if a student-centric issue demands it,” he said, without directly commenting on the ban.

The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) did not issue an immediate statement on the order.

In a statement, SFI’s Delhi state committee said the February 13 violence should not be used as a pretext to curtail democratic spaces. “By imposing sweeping restrictions on assemblies and protests, the university administration appears to be exploiting this incident to curb students’ democratic rights,” it said.

Abha Dev Habib, secretary of the Democratic Teachers’ Front, a Left-leaning teachers’ body, said reasonable restrictions would have sufficed. “We have been holding peaceful protests since the Supreme Court’s decision last month. One incident took place and the entire right to voice dissent has been banned,” she said, alleging that the move targets those opposing the stay on the equity regulations.