From LPU to IIT Bombay: How Student Protests Are Impacting Exams

Protests on university campuses often necessitate the postponement of examinations. Students may boycott exams, or universities are forced to issue revised schedules.

Various protests are currently underway at universities across the country, and these student demonstrations are impacting examination schedules. Such protests often lead to exam postponements; students may boycott the exams, or the university has to release a new schedule. Recently, the situation escalated at Punjab's Lovely Professional University (LPU) and Chitkara University following the spread of information on social media. Similarly, protests over various issues at IIT Bombay, Panjab University, Tezpur University, Manipur University, Delhi University, and the University of Mysore have also affected examinations.

Recent instances of campus protests include the situation at Lovely Professional University in Punjab. Student protests intensified here after vague claims regarding a female student began circulating on social media. Although the police and university administration dismissed these claims, the protests escalated. Incidents involving damage to university property and the blocking of the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway also occurred. In light of the situation, the university suspended regular classes for 10 days starting September 28, and mid-term examinations were postponed until further notice.

Prior to the events at LPU, a similar situation unfolded at Chitkara University in Punjab, also driven by social media. Vague claims regarding the disappearance or death of two students spread rapidly across WhatsApp groups and social media platforms. Some posts even accused the university of covering up the incident. Consequently, hundreds of students gathered on campus to demand answers. Meanwhile, incidents such as clashes with the police, vandalism on campus, and damage to police vehicles were reported during the protests.

Apart from Punjab University, the situation at IIT Bombay differed from the social media-driven rumors seen elsewhere. Following the death of second-year student Sahil on September 18, 2026, students protested over issues concerning institutional accountability, student welfare, and grievance redressal mechanisms. Sahil's family also alleged caste-based discrimination and harassment by the university. Amidst these allegations, IIT Bombay postponed the mid-semester examinations—originally scheduled for September 26 and 27—to October 10 and 11.

At Tezpur University in Assam, students, faculty, and non-teaching staff staged protests against Vice-Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh in late 2025. The protesters alleged financial and academic irregularities and demanded the Vice-Chancellor's removal. As the agitation dragged on, the university's academic and administrative activities were disrupted, necessitating the postponement of semester examinations.

In September 2024, a student agitation at Manipur University intensified following clashes with security forces. Consequently, the university postponed all undergraduate and postgraduate examinations until further notice; this occurred against the backdrop of a curfew and an internet shutdown in Manipur. Meanwhile, at Delhi University in December 2024, law students protested over incomplete syllabi, faculty changes, delays in course allocation, and sudden syllabus updates. Following this, a decision was made to postpone the law examinations.

Additionally, in October 2024, students at the University of Mysore protested against the scheduling of exams, fee hikes, and a shortage of teachers. The students argued that it was unfair to conduct exams when the syllabus had not been completed due to a lack of guest faculty. At the same time, a notable aspect that has emerged from these recent events is that vague information can spread very rapidly to a large number of students via social media and messaging groups.