Fifteen days ago, I submitted my PhD thesis. More than ten years of a journey in one university, one hostel, one city. When I submitted that file in the centre, there were tears in my eyes. Tears of joy, of pride, and of a gratitude I have always felt towards this institution that nurtured me, educated me, and kept me safe.

And then, that very same week, I came across an article in The New Indian Express that seemed determined to paint Jamia as an institution plagued by sexual harassment. I read it twice. The first time in anger. The second time thinking I must have misunderstood. But no, it said exactly what I had read the first time. And that is when I decided I would not stay silent. Because what I have seen, felt, and lived inside Jamia is something I have both the right and the duty to speak about. The "zero tolerance" policy that Jamia has put in place under the guidance of Professor Mazhar Asif is not just the right approach, it ought to be a model for every modern educational institution in the country.
I began my higher education journey at Jamia Millia Islamia with my Bachelor's degree, completed my Master's, and recently submitted my PhD thesis. Over more than a decade, I have had the chance to observe Jamia's environment up close, its classrooms, libraries, hostels, and the everyday rhythms of student life. As a student, a researcher, and a ten-year companion of this institution, I strongly feel that Jamia deserves to be seenin its true light. I have witnessed Jamia across several Vice Chancellors. And I say with complete responsibility that the current administration under the leadership of Professor Mazhar Asif and Professor Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi has taken steps for the safety of women students that I had simply never seen before. This is not my opinion. It is my observation. This is an institution that, rather than hiding its problems, is trying to confront them, where women's safety is being taken seriously, and where transparency is being embraced as institutional strength.
The New Indian Express reported that "Jamia received 24 complaints in three years." And that was it. The headline was set, the story was printed, job done. But pause for a moment and think: when does a student actually file a complaint? When she is confident her voice will be heard. When she is not afraid of being blamed herself. When she knows the system is with her, not against her. In my ten years here, I have seen institutions where not a single complaint ever comes in, not because nothing happens, but because students know that complaining is pointless. There, the silence is not peace. It is helplessness. If complaints are being registered at Jamia, it means students have trust. They know that the ICC's door is open, phone numbers are available, online portals are accessible, and most importantly, action will be taken.An institution with no complaints is not necessarily a safe one. It may simply be a place where students never find the courage to speak up. The registration of a complaint is not a sign of institutional failure;it is evidence of student courage and systemic trust.
Let us also look at the numbers honestly. Jamia Millia Islamia has more than 22,000 registered students. In 2025, there were 11 complaints and crucially, every single one has been resolved, with prompt action taken in each case. Compare this with JNU, which has between 8,800 and 9,000 students and yet recorded 26 complaints. On a per-capita basis, Jamia's rate is significantly lower than JNU's. And yet it is Jamia that received a negative headline, not JNU. That is not fair reporting. It is worth asking what purpose such selective framing serves. I leave that question open, readers can draw their own conclusions.
I am not speaking from administrative documents or official statements. I am sharing what I have seen, felt, and lived over ten years. After this administration took charge, the standard of campus security changed completely. No one without legitimate cause can enter the campus anymore. The number of CCTV cameras has increased significantly. Night patrols are conductedregularly. When Vice Chancellor Professor Mazhar Asif and Registrar Professor Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi took on their responsibilities, they built a clear, rational, and practical plan for the safety and wellbeing of students. And most importantly when an incident occurred, the Vice Chancellor himself came to the campus at night. He came in person, did not send a representative, did not issue a statement, he came himself to ensure that the students were safe. It might seem like a small thing, but for a girl living in a hostel, it carries an enormous message: that our leadership values us not just on paper, but in practice. Of all the administrations I have seen at Jamia across my years here, none has been better than this one. They issued clear directives, organised multiple awareness campaigns and anti-harassment seminars, and, most importantly, the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) has been made far more active and accessible. Students can now file complaints by phone, email, online portal, and direct contact. Complainants are assured confidentiality and protection of identity, and investigations are completed within stipulated timeframes. The preventive education and awareness strategy at Jamia is also genuinely strong. Different faculties and departments are required to regularly hold gender-sensitisation seminars, street plays, and awareness campaigns. None of these is merely a formality. Each seminar teaches students about acceptable boundaries. The Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women's Studies (SNCWS) works on advocacy, research, and advancement of women's concerns, and organises workshops on women's rights, combating online harassment, and prevention of sexual violence. Psychological support and counselling facilities are also available, essential for students who may be experiencing mental stress or harassment. Modern universities no longer consider merely registering complaints sufficient; the psychological recovery of the affected person is equally important, and Jamia is making progress in that direction too. Under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Professor Mazhar Asif and Registrar Professor Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi, in the past year and a half, Jamia has made strides not only in academic rankings, research output, and international recognition, but also in building a safer, more accountable campus culture. It would be an overstatement to say that every problem has been completely resolved. No university in the world can claim that. But it can certainly be said that in terms of seriousness in addressing problems, speed of institutional response, and commitment to transparency, Jamia has chosen a positive direction.
Before writing this piece, I spoke with at least 200 women students at Jamia. Every one of them expressed appreciation for Professor Mazhar Asif's leadership. All of them confirmed that the measures this administration has taken for the safety and security of women students are genuinely effective and real. Every single one of them said they feel safer now and have never experienced genuine fear or serious trouble. I am including direct testimonies from five students belonging to different departments. To protect their identities, I have changed their names.
Ayesha, an MA student in the Department of Education, said: "I can say with full confidence that everything necessary for my safety exists at this university. The security measures put in place by the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar, I have seen all of them with my own eyes. Cameras are everywhere, security is very strict, and if there is any problem, the ICC is always there to help. I even tell my mother that I am completely safe at Jamia."
Zainab, a student from the Faculty of Sciences who has seen Jamia across different periods, felt there has been a noticeable improvement in the grievance redressal system under the current administration. According to her, students now have the confidence that if they raise a concern, the administration will take it seriously.
Umm-e-Hani, a research scholar in the Humanities, stressed that "this administration has brought real change. Perhaps earlier certain things were overlooked or quietly buried. Now everything is transparent. Every complaint is heard. Every matter is handled with care. I am even encouraging my younger sister to take admission at Jamia because I am certain she will be completely safe here."
To better understand Jamia's environment, I also spoke with students from different states, different faiths, and different departments. The testimony to Jamia's safe, secular, and welcoming atmosphere is not limited to Muslim students alone. The perspectives of non-Muslim students are particularly significant here.
Preeti, who recently completed her LLM from Jamia Millia Islamia, shared: "When I took admission for the LLM, some of my relatives had certain concerns. They had heard various things about Jamia's environment. But after completing my studies here, I can say with complete confidence that Jamia's campus, hostel, classrooms, library, roads, and the overall atmosphere are among the safest spaces of my life. Today I myself advise my relatives and friends to send their daughters to Jamia for higher education. Not only are the safety arrangements excellent here, but the academic standards are also on par with the top universities in the country." Preeti adds that she received a well-paying job offer while still in her final semester, which shows that Jamia's academic environment guarantees students a bright future. She also notes that under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Professor Mazhar Asif and Registrar Professor Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi, Jamia is rapidly consolidating its position among the best universities in India. "I have always seen all my fellow students treat women with respect. They understand their boundaries and know what is acceptable and what is not. This is the result of the current administration's sustained awareness campaigns, seminars, and workshops, which have strengthened among students a genuine consciousness of respecting women."
Similarly, Shilpa Singh, a PhD Research Scholar at Jamia's A.J.K. Mass Communication Research Centre, shared her experience: "I am from Kolkata, but at Jamia I have always felt more secure than even at home. In the past three years, I have never faced any discrimination or prejudice on religious grounds. Despite being a Hindu student, I have always felt an atmosphere of equality, respect, and inclusion at Jamia." Shilpa adds: "If anyone wants to see what a genuinely secular environment looks like in India, they must visit Jamia Millia Islamia." On the rules governing student safety, she says: "They are strict, yes, but their purpose is solely and entirely the safety of students. Hostel timings, daily attendance, regulations for going out, proctorial oversight, all of it exists for this reason." She particularly appreciates Jamia's diversity: "The most beautiful thing about Jamia is its diversity. People of every faith, every language, every culture live here with mutual respect. Diwali and Holi are celebrated with the same warmth and reverence as Eid. This is what makes Jamia a true mirror of India's composite Ganga-Jamuni civilisation."
Both Preeti and Shilpa come from different religious and social backgrounds, yet their experiences point to one single, important truth. Jamia Millia Islamia's real identity lies in its safe, inclusive, transparent, and dignified educational environment. This is an institution where the dignity of women, religious harmony, and institutional accountability are being actively promoted. Jamia has not only taken administrative measures for women's safety, it has also done remarkable work in the fields of awareness and training. Seminars, workshops, awareness campaigns, and dialogue sessions are regularly organised across departments. Their purpose is not merely to inform students about rules, but to create an environment where mutual respect, responsibility, and sensitivity flourish.
I am not singing anyone's praises here. I am sharing what I have seen. The changes that have come to Jamia since Professor Mazhar Asif and Professor Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi took charge are visible and real across many fronts. I know that some people will call this piece "propaganda" too. They will say it is a defence of the institution. But I ask myself: a PhD scholar who has lived in this campus for ten years, who has gone from childhood to adulthood within this institution, who knows every lane, every tree, every room of this place, when she says "this place is safe," what weight should her words carry? Should they carry less weight than the words of someone who sat outside and arranged numbers in a particular way to write an article?
I say this plainly: Jamia Millia Islamia is my home. In this home, I have never known fear. In this home, I studied, I learned, I grew, and I became Doctor. The doors of this home are open to every young woman who wishes to learn, and the walls of this home protect every student who lives within them. This is my testimony. This is the experience of ten years. And it cannot be undone by any newspaper headline.Jamia Millia Islamia is becoming a shining example of women's safety in India.

Email:-------------------------drafsanaaslam@gmail.com