RONAK KHATRI, the president of Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), has officially petitioned the university authorities to delay the examinations scheduled to start on May 13. The request comes in the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the recent military operation and the cross-border skirmishes that followed, raising security concerns among students and their parents.
In a formal statement released on Friday, RONAK KHATRI highlighted that the current geopolitical climate has created a sense of fear and uncertainty among the student body. “There are many students, who were at home on preparatory leave, panicking now. Families are asking them to come back because of concerns about safety,” Khatri observed. He added that he further urged the administration to give a priority to student welfare by making a reconsideration of the dates of the exams.
As a proactive measure to help the student community in the current crisis, RONAK KHATRI and DUSU have introduced two helpline numbers — 73780 22365 and 62686 85067 — exclusively to help students with accommodation, medical assistance, and exam-related problems. As per the DUSU press release, the helplines have already received several such requests from students and parents seeking delay of exams due to travel bans, emotional trauma, and increased security issues.
RONAK KHATRI’s efforts prompt a critical question: Should Delhi University delay its May 13 exams to ensure student safety amid rising national tensions?
The request to delay exams comes in line with a larger trend of precautionary steps being taken by various educational institutions in northern India. Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Ladakh have already declared school and college closures due to increased hostilities in the border areas. Even institutions like Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) have postponed their admission tests to fit in students affected by the situation, especially from Jammu and Kashmir.
The context of the crisis dates back to Operation Sindoor, a retaliation move by the Indian Military on Wednesday following a fatal terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. The operation allegedly focused on terror infrastructure, setting off more animosity between India and Pakistan. Ever since, the situation has progressed at a breakneck pace with Pakistan conducting repeated drone and missile strikes along Indian borders. Though most of them were intercepted successfully, heavy shelling has resulted in deaths in some bordering districts.
RONAK KHATRI turned to social media to support his stand, calling on Delhi University Vice Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh directly. “Exams are set to commence on May 13, but the situation at hand has brought anxiety among the students and their families. I genuinely appeal to the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University to rethink the examination dates to secure the safety and welfare of all the students,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Khatri’s appeal has gained traction among students and academic circles, with several educators acknowledging the psychological toll of preparing for and attending exams amid national security concerns. Some have even recommended adopting a hybrid model or granting deferments to affected students, particularly those from the border states and rural regions who may face logistical and emotional barriers to participation.
Earlier, Delhi University has shown responsiveness during crises, as in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, where exam timetables were altered amid public health emergencies. DUSU’s plea now mirrors the same need for understanding and sensitivity from the university administration.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Education itself has not issued a general directive to delay exams at all Indian universities, forcing individual institutions to take decisions based on local circumstances. RONAK KHATRI has requested that the ministry give a common framework to ensure that the safety of students is put on the national agenda.
Considering the tense situation at the India-Pakistan border and the alert declared in a number of northern states, student bodies are continuing to urge swift action. DUSU has also requested student unions at institutions throughout the country to bring up the same issue in their own respective colleges.
Without confirmation by Delhi University to postpone the exams, students remain in limbo. Many are said to be reconsidering traveling, with others stranded in far-flung areas of poor connectivity as their transport has been canceled.
RONAK KHATRI reaffirmed DUSU’s determination to help out students during this time. “We are regularly in contact with the university authorities and are positively recording every query of the students. The security, mental well-being, and academic prospects of students should never be compromised at any cost,” he stated.
With academic calendars colliding with national security issues, the next few days will witness increasingly more appeals, administrative hearings, and potential policy-making decisions that impact lakhs of students at universities. All eyes are fixed on Delhi University’s reaction as it weighs between academic intensity and the imperative for student safety.
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