Students of NLSIU protested against alleged unsafe hostel conditions, collapsing infrastructure, and inadequate facilities, claiming that rapid expansion in student intake was not matched by corresponding infrastructural development.
Students of National Law School of India University staged a protest on the night of 12 May 2026 against what they described as “dangerous and uninhabitable” living conditions allegedly caused by the university administration’s continued expansion of the student body without a corresponding increase in infrastructure facilities.
According to the students, the administration led by Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sudhir Krishnaswamy steadily increased the intake of undergraduate students between 2022 and 2024. The strength of the B.A., LL.B. batch reportedly rose from 120 students in 2021 to 180 in 2022, 240 in 2023, and 300 in 2024. In addition, the university introduced a new LL.B. (Honours) programme in 2022 with an intake of 60 students, which was increased to 120 in 2023.
The students further stated that the university introduced an additional B.A. (Honours) programme in 2025 with an intake of 60 students, bringing the total undergraduate intake for the academic year 2025—26 to 480 students, while the outgoing batches collectively numbered only 240 students.
Despite the increase in admissions, the protesting students alleged that the university failed to adequately upgrade infrastructure and residential facilities. Hostel rooms originally designed for double occupancy were allegedly converted into triple-sharing rooms through the installation of bunk beds, which students described as structurally unsafe. According to the statement, the bunk beds had “fallen apart on multiple occasions”, thereby posing serious safety risks to occupants.
The students also highlighted a series of infrastructural safety lapses within the campus. They alleged that granite slabs and portions of hostel roofs had collapsed on multiple occasions, with the latest such incident taking place on the night of 12 May 2026.
Referring to another incident, the students stated that on 15 April 2026, heavy concrete slabs from the third floor of the under-construction New Academic Block allegedly collapsed onto a high-traffic pathway leading to classrooms that continued to remain in use during the construction period. The statement alleged that no safety nets or protective measures had been installed at the site and claimed that, had the incident occurred approximately 30 minutes later, it could have resulted in serious casualties.
The protesting students criticised the administration’s response to the incident, alleging that responsibility was shifted onto contractors and that the suspension of construction work lasted only one day.
The statement further alleged that the burden of infrastructural inadequacies had been disproportionately placed on female students. According to the students, nearly 60% of female residents were allegedly compelled to live in hazardous triple-occupancy conditions, compared to approximately 10% of male residents facing similar circumstances.
The students also claimed that nearly 40% of female students had been forced to live without regular water or electricity supply for several months. They termed the disparity in living conditions as reflective of unequal treatment between male and female students by the university administration.
The protestors further claim that the administration had adopted an “obstructionist and hostile” attitude towards student concerns, including demands relating to access to running water and safe living conditions. According to the statement, the administration had consistently refused to adequately engage with students regarding these issues.
The students stated that the protests would continue until the Vice-Chancellor engages with and addresses the concerns raised by the student body.
