Jawaharlal Nehru University plunged into fresh unrest on Friday after students forcefully dismantled a newly installed facial-recognition system at the Dr B R Ambedkar Central Library, accusing the administration of violating privacy and bypassing due process. The dramatic protest triggered a security inquiry and renewed tensions on a campus long divided over surveillance measures.

Tensions escalated when students discovered the biometric scanners at the library entrance and swiftly pulled them out. Videos widely shared on social media showed members of the JNU Students’ Union uprooting the devices and tossing them aside while raising slogans, as security personnel struggled to stop the crowd.

Student leaders alleged the administration introduced the technology covertly, without consultation or transparency. They argued that at a time when the library suffers from overcrowded reading halls, damaged furniture, limited drinking-water points and no dedicated reading room, investing in surveillance technology shows misplaced priorities.

The Students’ Union further claimed that this was not the first attempt to enforce facial-ID access. A previous effort was abandoned after campus-wide protests and disciplinary cases against students. Despite that, they said, the administration installed the system again even though an official committee formed to examine the concerns has yet to submit its report.

Rejecting the allegations, a senior JNU official said that destroying public property was a “serious offence” and confirmed that a security assessment had been ordered. The administration has promised “appropriate action” after reviewing the findings.

With both sides digging in, the incident has reopened a wider ideological battle over digital surveillance, privacy, and student autonomy — setting the stage for yet another confrontation between the university administration and its student community.