JNU students on indefinite hunger strike over hostel, library, PhD admission and campus safety demands

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students affiliated with the Progressive Students’ Association (PSA) have been on an indefinite hunger strike since Sept 27, raising demands related to hostel accommodation, library infrastructure, PhD admissions, campus safety and student representation.

Four students have been fasting at Sabarmati T-Point on the JNU campus, according to the PSA. The protesters have claimed that their weight and blood sugar levels have dropped significantly during the strike, while some students are also experiencing blood pressure-related issues.

The students have alleged that the university administration has not initiated a dialogue with them. According to the PSA, the administration has sent a medical team for daily health check-ups but has not deputed any university representative to meet the protesters.

The students are seeking hostel accommodation for all students, along with urgent renovation of existing hostels and dormitories. They have also demanded increased library seating capacity and improvements to library infrastructure.

JNU's official hostel information lists 18 hostels and a married-students complex, with a combined listed capacity of about 5,500. The university states that admission to a program does not automatically guarantee hostel accommodation, as hostel allotment is subject to availability.

The protesters have also called for a transparent and timely PhD admission process. Their demands include the release of admission notifications and relevant admission data.

Another demand is the reinstatement of GS CASH (Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment) as an autonomous mechanism for addressing complaints of sexual harassment.

The students have further sought the revocation of the suspension of JNUSU office bearers. Their other demands include improvements to basic campus facilities such as water supply, Wi-Fi, reading spaces and other essential infrastructure.

The PSA has said these issues directly affect students' academic lives and access to basic facilities on campus. The student group has called for immediate and meaningful dialogue with the university administration and concrete steps to address the concerns.

JNU has issued multiple hostel and dormitory allotment lists for the 2026-27 academic session, including lists covering undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The PSA has reiterated its demand for a response from the university administration and concrete action on the issues raised by the protesting students.