Bulldozers, due process, and the fate of Jauhar University |
The Rampur Development Authority's order directing the demolition of 38 of the 40 buildings at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University is far more than a routine planning dispute. It raises fundamental questions about the rule of law in Uttar Pradesh: whether urban planning regulations are enforced uniformly or wielded selectively as instruments of political reckoning, and whether the state's pursuit of legal compliance adequately considers the public purpose served by educational institutions.
Established by the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and named after distinguished freedom fighter and scholar Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, the university was conceived as a minority institution dedicated to expanding educational opportunities in a region of considerable historical and cultural significance.
Its founder Azam Khan — a veteran Samajwadi Party leader and former cabinet minister — has long been a deeply controversial and polarising political figure. Supporters credit him with creating educational opportunities for underprivileged students, both Hindu and Muslim. Critics, however, point to a long history of alleged legal and administrative irregularities that predate the present controversy.
According to the Rampur Development Authority (RDA), a technical inspection found that only the medical college building and one academic block had approved building plans. The remaining 38 structures — including academic buildings, administrative offices, hostels, and ancillary facilities — were allegedly constructed without obtaining the requisite permissions from the competent authority.
Following this finding, the university was served with a notice, granted a hearing on 15 July, and given 15 days to remove the unauthorised structures, failing which demolition proceedings would commence under Sections 27 and 59 of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973.
The university has contested the order, arguing that Singankhera village, where the campus is situated, did not fall within the RDA's jurisdiction until late 2024 and that the buildings had received approvals from local........