New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has struck down Jamia Millia Islamia’s 2022 order dissolving the Jamia Teachers Association (JTA), ruling that the university’s action violated the teachers’ constitutional right to form and govern associations.
Justice Sachin Datta, delivering the judgment, said the university’s decision was “administrative in nature” and lacked any rational connection to a legitimate purpose under Article 19(4) of the Constitution. The court observed that the unilateral move by Jamia to dissolve the JTA and impose a new constitution without consulting members infringed on their right to self-governance under Article 19(1)(c).
The case arose from Jamia’s November 2022 directive dissolving the association, sealing its offices, and preventing members from holding meetings or accessing funds. The university argued that the JTA’s constitution had not been formally recognised and that it was within the administration’s authority to restructure associations for transparency and accountability.
Represented by advocate Abhik Chimni, the JTA contended that its dissolution violated its members’ fundamental rights and was part of an effort to curb independent faculty voices. The court agreed, emphasizing that such interference erodes institutional autonomy and democratic functioning within universities.
The High Court’s decision is seen as a strong reaffirmation of teachers’ rights to association and collective representation in academic institutions, setting an important precedent for public universities nationwide.
