AhlulBayt News Agency: Sitting in his modest rented room in North Delhi, 22-year-old Aamir Mohidin, a B.Com student at Delhi University, scrolled through a WhatsApp message that left him feeling exposed and anxious.
The message had landed in a group chat of students from Jammu and Kashmir, just days after the deadly Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists. The sender? Delhi University’s Proctor’s Office, requesting Aadhaar numbers and full residential addresses—including floor numbers—of Kashmiri students living in the capital.
What disturbed Aamir most was not just the nature of the request, but the platform it was delivered on—an unofficial group with dozens of students from different areas.
"We were told to share these details in that group. It was shocking. If it were only between the administration and us, it wouldn’t have been an issue," he said. "But sharing it in an unofficial group didn’t feel right."
Mohidin, who hails from Central Kashmir, hesitated to give the exact floor of his address, but eventually complied out of fear.
“What if someone with bad intentions sees it? They will know exactly where to find me. It makes me feel unsafe and weak,” he said, his dream of studying in Delhi now shadowed by fear and vulnerability.
"We came here to study and grow, but now it seems like we're being targeted. Sharing these kinds of specifics, especially in such an unsafe environment, feels so wrong. My mind kept going back to how dangerous it was. What if someone came after us tomorrow? What if these details went into the wrong hands?"
The unease is widely shared. Another student, Aaqib Khalil, studying Political Science, questioned the rationale behind such a directive.
“When I first saw the message, I couldn’t believe it. As a political science student, I understand the importance of privacy, and this feels like a violation. No students from other states are being asked for such specific details. It feels like profiling.”
For Qurat-ul-Ain, also a student at DU, the issue wasn’t unexpected, but it was unsettling. “I was already expecting some sort of circular after the Pahalgam attack. But why are only students from Jammu and Kashmir being asked for such details?” she asked.
“As a female student, it feels even more uncomfortable to share my address in a public group.”
Some teachers tried to comfort the students with encouragement and hope, Mohidin added.
"They kept telling us not to worry, that everything would be fine, and we should trust the process. That somewhat took the edge off, but deep down, the fear was still there. The words were an aid, but the anxiety related to sharing such personal details in such an unsafe manner was so hard to shake off."
Delhi University confirmed that departments and affiliated colleges had been directed to collect Aadhaar and current residential details of students from J&K, citing a communication from the Proctor’s Office.
An email from the university described the data as “essential... to maintain accurate student records” and asked for submissions by April 29.
"We have received a communication from the Proctor's Office, University of Delhi, requesting students from J&K to provide their Aadhaar number and residential address (for those residing in Delhi hostels/PGs or similar accommodations)," the email read.
But the method of collection—via an unofficial WhatsApp group—has sparked concern, not just among students but also rights advocates and legal experts.
According to DU Proctor Rajni Abbi, the directive came from the Ministry of Home Affairs, reportedly based on intelligence inputs.
She claimed the measure was aimed at ensuring the "safety and protection" of Kashmiri students in light of harassment reports from other states. Delhi Police had also sought the data, though it remains unclear whether they issued a separate request.
Still, the rationale has done little to allay student fears.
Student Body Reacts Strongly
Nasir Khuehami, National Convener of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, condemned the directive on social media, calling it “discriminatory profiling, a blatant breach of privacy, and a violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.”
He questioned the Ministry’s justification, noting that personal details are already submitted at the time of admission.
“Profiling of Kashmiri students poses a serious impediment to the process of national integration and reconciliation,” he wrote. “Is this meant to signal that our students are different, suspect, or lesser citizens?”
Khuehami called on the Home Ministry to immediately revoke the circular and urged Delhi University to clarify its position.
The matter has also attracted legal scrutiny. Yavar Ramzan, a practising advocate at the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, called the directive unconstitutional. “Informational privacy is a facet of the right to privacy.
Asking for such details without a clear purpose and without authorisation violates the individual’s autonomy,” he told Kashmir Times. “It fails the test of proportionality and goes against the grain of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.”
He added, “Liberty includes the right to be free from indirect restrictions brought about by calculated measures like these.”
Students at other prominent institutions—Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University, and Jamia Hamdard—confirmed that no similar requests had been made.
A similar move at AMU in 2022 had been retracted after student backlash. Christ College in Bengaluru, too, was once asked by police to submit details of Kashmiri students, but the directive was widely criticised.
For now, DU's silence on the backlash continues to fuel suspicion and fear. While a few university staff tried to reassure students, offering words of encouragement, the damage to trust may be harder to repair.
“We didn’t come here to feel this way,” said Aamir. “We came here to study and grow. But now it feels like we’re being marked out—again.”
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