IISER Pune Students Reject ‘Assurances’ From Administration, Continue Campus Sit-In

Baner, 1st September 2026: The six-day student sit-in at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune continued on Tuesday, with the institute outlining measures to address several demands raised by the protesting students. However, the students rejected the administration’s response, saying it did not address their demands in full and lacked specific timelines for implementation.

The institute said it received a demand letter from the students on August 31. Director Prof. Sunil Bhagwat subsequently informed students, faculty and staff that the administration was working on mechanisms to address the demands while taking into account student safety, the interests of students who were not participating in the sit-in and the limits of the institute’s authority.

Bhagwat, along with some faculty members, also visited the students participating in the sit-in to enquire about their well-being. The institute said the Director’s invitation for a delegation of three to five student representatives to meet him remains open.

However, in a statement issued at 8 pm on Tuesday, the students said the administration’s response, sent through an email at 3:26 pm after 124 hours of the sit-in, amounted to assurances without substantive changes.

The students said the administration’s response did not fulfil their demands and that the sit-in would continue until the demands were met in full, including the students’ demand for the Director to address them in person.

IISER Pune proposes additional mental health support

On mental health infrastructure, IISER Pune said it currently has two full-time counsellors and has initiated the process of recruiting two additional full-time counsellors. It is also working towards appointing two counsellors on a part-time basis.

The institute said students, faculty and staff are being provided training under the Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training Programme at the Maharashtra Institute of Mental Health (MIMH).

The Mental Well-Being Centre currently refers students requiring psychiatric services to MIMH, located near the campus, the institute said. The medical committee is also exploring additional hospitals for psychiatric referrals and is working towards adding on-campus psychiatric services to the Mental Well-Being Centre.

IISER Pune said it was also considering introducing 24×7 online counselling services.
The institute further said it would reimburse expenses for emergency medical services for students if such treatment is not covered under existing insurance.

The students, however, said the administration had not specified the number of psychiatrists to be appointed or whether they would be permanent, on-campus and available to students free of cost. They also demanded sufficient staffing to prevent backlogs and long waiting periods.

The students also said suicide prevention gatekeeper training should be mandatory for everyone, rather than merely being offered as training.

Students question attendance relaxation

In view of the recent death of a student and its impact on students, IISER Pune said it had provided a two-week relaxation in attendance requirements for lectures and laboratory sessions from August 17 to August 31.

The students said the core of their demand was for attendance relaxation to be announced in advance rather than retrospectively. They argued that students dealing with grief should be able to take time away from classes without having to worry about attendance requirements.

According to the students, announcing the relaxation retrospectively did not address the additional stress caused by attendance requirements during the period.

PhD hostel mobility under consideration

The administration said it was preparing to enable mobility of PhD and integrated PhD students residing in Hostel 2 and the A Wing of Hostel 3.

The move, according to IISER Pune, will be implemented after seeking the views of hostel residents, with the aim of ensuring that residents have a say in matters concerning their safety and autonomy. Security-related rules would be finalised and strictly enforced, it said.

The students, however, said mobility should not be restricted to PhD and integrated PhD students, pointing out that several MS thesis students from the BS-MS community also reside in Hostel 2.

Common spaces and extended facility hours

IISER Pune said common rooms on the ground floor of all hostels are already available to students, while gender-neutral washrooms are also being made available on the ground floor of all hostels.

The ground and first floors of the dining hall are open to all students, and the institute has invited suggestions on how these spaces can be equipped for common activities.

The administration also said the process for booking lecture halls, seminar rooms and discussion rooms for student activities would be streamlined.

Indoor sports and gym facilities are planned to remain open for extended hours. IISER Pune said this would be implemented after additional personnel are recruited to ensure the safety and security of users and facilities.

The students, however, said the dining hall could not be considered an additional “third space”, as the area was already open to students. They also questioned the absence of a timeline for extending the operating hours of sports and gym facilities, saying the administration could potentially cite difficulties in recruitment or funding to delay implementation.

IISER Pune reiterates no retaliatory action

The institute reiterated that students participating in or organising the current peaceful sit-in would not face disciplinary action as long as the protest remains peaceful, does not involve violence, does not disrupt essential institute operations, does not involve unlawful acts and does not violate applicable laws or institute IT policies.

The administration said this position had already been communicated through an email sent by the Director on August 28, the second day of the sit-in.

Students challenge response on suspended student

On the students’ demand concerning disciplinary action against a former General Secretary, IISER Pune said the student was suspended following a disciplinary inquiry during which they were given an opportunity to present their position.

The student subsequently appealed against the suspension and met the appellate authority, the Chairperson of the IISER Pune Board of Governors, to present their case again, the institute said. The appellate authority’s detailed response was subsequently shared with the student, according to the administration.

IISER Pune said that under its statutes, the Director does not have the authority to revoke a decision taken by the appellate authority and maintained that the applicable rules and regulations were followed throughout the process.

The students, however, disputed the administration’s position. They said their demand was for the Director to revoke the original suspension, which they argued would effectively nullify the subsequent appellate decision that upheld the suspension for a lesser period.

Students demand timelines

A recurring concern raised by the students was the absence of specific timelines for implementing the measures announced by the administration.

The students said the lack of deadlines could allow implementation to be delayed and argued that timelines and accountability were central to their demand letter.

The administration said it would continue working with students to improve campus facilities and living conditions.

The student sit-in was continuing on Tuesday evening.