Delhi University under fire for asking only Kashmiri students for personal details; JKSA calls move discriminatory, seeks Centre's intervention
NEW DELHI: A Delhi University (DU) directive asking students from Jammu and Kashmir to submit personal details has triggered a sharp reaction from the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), which has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking withdrawal of the "discriminatory" circular. The University, however, has defended the move, citing student safety and a request from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) based on intelligence inputs.Responding to the criticism, DU Proctor Rajni Abbi told PTI that the directive was issued "for the better safety and security of the students from Jammu and Kashmir," noting that there have been instances where Kashmiri students were harassed or assaulted in some parts of the country.She added that the Delhi Police had sought the data and that the circular followed a request from the MHA based on intelligence inputs related to student safety.The circular comes amid the backdrop of a terror attack in south Kashmir's Pahalgam town that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, on April 22.Following the attack, J&K students and professionals residing in places outside the Union Territory reported instances of harassment and assault.In a letter dated May 6, the JKSA alleged that several DU colleges have asked J&K students to provide their addresses, contact numbers, email IDs, and course details - requirements not imposed on students from any other state or Union Territory. The association described the move as " community profiling " and a violation of fundamental rights."The information is being sought only from Kashmiri students, raising serious concerns of targeted surveillance," the JKSA said in the letter addressed to the Home Minister. "This unjustified surveillance creates an atmosphere of fear and exclusion, rather than integration and belonging."The association warned that such measures risk alienating students from J&K and may hinder their academic experience. "At a time when students should feel supported in their academic pursuits, they are instead gripped by fear and uncertainty," it said.The JKSA also questioned the need for collecting such data, arguing that student details are already available with the university from the admission process.Calling for Shah's intervention, the JKSA urged the Centre to issue clear guidelines to educational institutions to avoid any form of regional or religious profiling."We believe that your timely intervention can restore faith among Kashmiri students in the institutions meant to protect and nurture them," the letter stated.
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