Jamia's undertaking requires parents of new students to take responsibility for ‘conduct and character' of wards

Time of India

19-05-2025

New Delhi:
Jamia Millia Islamia
has included a parental undertaking in its admission process, requiring parents or local guardians of newly admitted students to take responsibility for the "conduct and character" of their wards — a provision not seen in other central universities in Delhi.
The undertaking is part of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) approved for admissions in April last year. According to an official document, the SOP was recommended by a committee constituted for the adoption and implementation of uniform guidelines to be followed by departments, faculties, and centres during the admission process. The recommendation was duly approved by the vice-chancellor in April last year.
In addition to the student's own declaration, the SOP includes a "Declaration by the Father/Local Guardian of the Student," which reads: "I hereby declare that I take full responsibility of his/her conduct and character as a student of Jamia Millia Islamia. I shall make myself available to the university whenever required."
While undertakings from parents on anti-ragging norms are standard across Indian universities, Jamia's broader clause placing overall responsibility for a student's conduct on the parent or guardian is uncommon.
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The requirement comes against the backdrop of heightened administrative focus on discipline. In Feb, students held a sit-in protest near the central canteen of the university, demanding the revocation of disciplinary action against their peers. Following this, the university filed a police complaint, and several students later alleged that police officials contacted their parents, asking them to ensure their wards left the protest site.
During this time, students claimed that their personal details, including home addresses, were released by the university and pasted at the main entrance putting them under suspension — a charge the university later denied.
"Instead of talking to us, they contacted our parents and made them feel like we were causing trouble," said a second-year student who participated in the protest. "Now, they have come up with a parental undertaking to suppress any attempts of protest."
Jamia has banned protests on campus since the anti-CAA movement in 2019. Notices warning students against "unauthorised gatherings" have increased since early 2024.
TOI reached out to Jamia media cordinator Saima Saeed for a comment but did not receive any response.
A university faculty member, who did not wish to be named, said the parental undertaking was a "preventive measure" aimed at maintaining discipline and ensuring accountability from the start of a student's academic journey.
On other campuses, such as Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, parental declarations are limited to anti-ragging compliance and do not make guardians responsible for general behaviour of the student.
When asked about the presence of such an undertaking at their institutions, officials from these universities stated that they do not require parents or local guardians of students to submit any such declaration.