Meanwhile, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Member of Parliament Bishnu Pada Ray on Tuesday met students continuing their protest near Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya after classes and assured them of his support. Addressing the protesters, the MP said he stood with the students and categorically disagreed with BJP state president Anil Tiwari over his recent statement favouring a deemed university. Ray also assured the students that he would pursue the matter with the concerned ministries during the upcoming session of Parliament.
Following his interaction with the students, the MP escalated the issue to the highest levels, seeking urgent intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over what he described as an increasingly volatile situation arising from the demand for a Central University in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In a detailed representation dated February 16, Ray said students across all seven degree colleges in the Union Territory have been on peaceful agitation since February 3 after no response was received from the government despite earlier representations. He noted that the protest culminated in a complete bandh across the islands on Monday, with shops, commercial establishments, transport services, hotels and restaurants remaining shut—an unprecedented response that, according to him, reflected widespread public support for the students’ cause.
The MP recalled that he had first written to the Prime Minister on December 9, 2025, urging the establishment of a Central University in place of the proposed deemed-to-be university, and that the matter was subsequently forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs. With semester examinations for the 2025–26 academic year approaching and no clarity forthcoming, students were left with no option but to begin the agitation, he said.
Ray further informed the Prime Minister and Home Minister that he met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on February 13 to apprise him of the prevailing situation, and also submitted a separate representation to Amit Shah the same day. However, a meeting with the Chief Secretary on February 14, attended by a delegation of students, failed to yield any positive assurance. Instead, students were cautioned about possible law-and-order measures, the MP alleged.
He pointed out that an order issued by the South Andaman District Magistrate on February 15 termed the students’ demands and peaceful agitation as unconstitutional, further deepening resentment. At present, Ray said, around 6,000 students along with their parents are staging a continuous sit-in at the JNRM premises, protesting day and night without adequate shelter.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, the MP alleged that no senior official from the Andaman and Nicobar Administration or the Lt Governor’s office has visited the protest site to engage with the students. He also expressed concern that no effective recommendation appears to have been made by the UT administration to the Central Government to resolve the impasse.
Warning of possible deterioration of law and order if the issue is not addressed urgently, Ray said the prolonged agitation, now over two weeks old, has already triggered political fallout, with several young party leaders and Panchayati Raj Institution members resigning in protest. He termed the situation “alarming”, especially after a recent public statement by Anil Tiwari in favour of a deemed university at a Union Budget-related programme attended by Union minister George Kurian, which he said “added ghee to the fire” and contributed to the success of the territory-wide bandh.
In his appeal, Ray urged the Centre to take a positive decision to establish a Central University in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on the lines of Ladakh. As an interim measure, he requested that the affiliation of island colleges with Pondicherry University be continued until such a university is set up, along with a formal assurance to enable the students to withdraw their agitation peacefully. Calling the matter “most urgent”, the MP cautioned that any further delay could have serious consequences for students and public order in the islands.
