After more than 72 hours of continuous and peaceful protest, students of Maulana Azad National Urdu University MANUU have received a written assurance from the university administration regarding the conduct of Students’ Union elections.
According to the Minutes of the Meeting issued by the Dean Students’ Welfare office on January 30, 2026, the university has agreed in principle to hold elections for the MANUU Students Union, similar to other statutory bodies. The administration said it will explore all possibilities to ensure that the elections are conducted in a smooth and peaceful manner from the 2026 27 academic session, after the completion of the first semester admission process.
The written communication came after days of sustained student mobilisation, including sit-in protests, solidarity marches, and cultural resistance programmes. Students had been demanding the restoration of Students’ Union elections, which have not been held for more than one and a half years.
Welcoming the development, student leader and PhD scholar Swaleh Ansari called it a significant moment for the campus. “This is a remarkable milestone in the history of student politics at MANUU. We thank all students who stood united and supported this just cause. Based on this official assurance, we are ending the strike with the hope that the administration will conduct Students’ Union elections at the beginning of the next academic session. The struggle for students’ rights will continue,” he said.
Soon after the written assurance was issued, students announced the withdrawal of their ongoing strike. They reiterated that their movement was peaceful, democratic, and aimed at strengthening student representation and institutional accountability within the university.
Students have now urged the MANUU administration to turn the assurance into action by issuing a formal election notification at the start of the next academic session, in line with democratic principles and constitutional values.
