Sri Vijaya Puram, February 17 The Joint Action Forum Against Deemed University (JAFADU), which led the recent island-wide shutdown opposing the proposed deemed university, announced on Tuesday its plan to move the high court challenging the affiliation of existing government colleges under the deemed university framework in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
This decision comes in the wake of Monday's Andaman Bandh, which received widespread support from the public, the business community, various political parties, and civil society organizations across the Islands.
JAFADU is a conglomerate of over 100 organizations, including travel and tourism associations, hotel and trade bodies, shop owners' groups, transport unions, NGOs, and several political parties, excluding the BJP.
Students have been opposing the establishment of a deemed university in the islands and the proposed affiliation of all existing government colleges under it, which were previously affiliated with the Pondicherry Central University.
JAFADU expressed gratitude to all sections of society for standing in solidarity with students and supporting what it termed a "genuine cause" concerning the academic future of island youth.
Forum representatives called off the continuous general strike on February 16 in the larger interest of students' academic schedules while intensifying the movement through democratic and lawful means.
As part of the next phase of protest, students will attend classes in the morning wearing black badges as a mark of dissent and will continue peaceful demonstrations daily from 2 pm to 6 pm in front of their respective colleges.
JAFADU also claimed that the administration has partially agreed to allow continuation under the affiliation of Pondicherry University for the academic year 2025-2026 for existing batches until completion of their courses, which the forum described as a "positive but incomplete step."
Meanwhile, a delegation comprising students and JAFADU members will travel to New Delhi to seek appointments with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to present their concerns directly before the central leadership.
