Fri Jan 24 07:26:15 UTC 2025: ## Ashoka University Students Protest New Security Measures
**Sonipat, Haryana – January 24, 2025** – Students at Ashoka University in Sonipat are staging a protest against newly implemented security measures, which they deem invasive and an infringement on their rights. The measures, introduced on January 17th, include vehicle checks, searches of personal belongings, and a ban on alcohol and cigarettes on campus.
The university administration claims the measures, implemented after consultation with faculty and staff, are designed to enhance campus security and student well-being. However, students allege they were not consulted prior to the implementation and that the searches were intrusive, extending to the belongings of taxi drivers and family members visiting the campus. Reports indicate that students were even asked to submit personal items like shampoo bottles for inspection.
A petition opposing the measures has garnered over 1,100 signatures, including those from faculty members. Students also reported that the university administration attempted to suppress a demonstration at Gate 2 by wetting the atrium floor and deploying additional security guards.
The All India Students’ Association has expressed solidarity with the protesting students, criticizing the measures as a violation of constitutional privacy rights. The incident has sparked controversy, given Ashoka University’s reputation as a liberal institution. The students’ protest continues, demanding a rollback of the new security protocols.
First Piper 