"Does Jamia not want South Indian students?”: MP Shashi Tharoor criticises varsity for dropping Thiruvananthapuram as exam centre
Recently, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) dropped Thiruvananthapuram as one of its examination centres without any explanation, sparking criticism from Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor, who questioned whether the university was sidelining students from South India.
Speaking to PTI, Tharoor expressed disappointment over the decision, highlighting that Thiruvananthapuram was the only JMI exam centre in South India. He pointed out that at least 550 students had taken the test there last year and asked where this year's students would now go.
"It makes absolutely no sense. No explanation has been given to anybody, least of all the students. We had about 550 students taking the exam last year in Thiruvananthapuram. Where will this year's students go, unless JMI has decided that they don't want students from the South?" he said.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he further criticised the move, writing, "Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI) has removed Thiruvananthapuram from its list of entrance test centres. And it was the only such centre in South India! The city, moreover, witnessed at least 550 students taking the exams. An inexplicable decision: has @jmiu_official decided it doesn’t want South Indian students?"
It isn’t just Tharoor who has brought the issue to the public eye.
VP Sanu, All India President, Students’ Federation of India (SFI), also took to X, saying, “Does JMI not want students from the South? Or are they hellbent on financially burdening students with extra travel & accommodation? Why discriminating the South?”
Meanwhile, JMI has yet to provide an official reason for removing Thiruvananthapuram from its list of test centres.
The university has multiple exam venues across India for its entrance tests, but the absence of any centre in South India raises concerns about accessibility for students from the region.
With the removal of Thiruvananthapuram, students from Kerala and other southern states may now have to travel significant distances to appear for the exams.
