The breakthrough in the 18-day protest at Jamia Millia Islamia came after more than seven hours of talks on Thursday night, with the university administration agreeing to a fixed timeline for holding student union elections – the main point of contention between the two sides.The protest, demanding the restoration of the students’ union that has remained dissolved since 2006, ended after the administration issued an order stating that elections would be held “approximately within 6 weeks of 16 July, 2027”.On Monday, the administration had agreed to hold elections to the union. But the protest continued as the order did not specify when the elections would take place. It said they would be held “after 15 days from the date of approval of the constitution of the students’ union”, without giving a timeline for the constitution’s approval. IUML Rajya Sabha MP Haris Beeran, who had earlier approached Jamia Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Ali seeking to mediate between the students and the administration, said he was called to the campus at 4 pm on Thursday.It was the 18th day of the protest and Jamia’s 106th Foundation Day. The administration had earlier announced that classes and examinations for the remainder of the semester would be held online, with the university reopening only in January for the new semester.“Both sides wanted an exit route. Both were under pressure. And neither wanted to meet in the middle,” said Beeran.He and Jihad, a PhD student in Cultural Studies chosen by consensus as a student representative, met members of the administration led by the VC. The discussions, they said, continued for nearly seven hours.The election timeline was the first point of discussion.Story continues below this ad Students taking out a “victory march” at Centenary gate, Jamia Millia Islamia on Friday, after the restoration of union is announced on October 29. (Express Photo by Tabshir Shams)“The VC said that the last properly held election was almost 25 years ago. After 1999, a union’s term usually collapsed within two or three months, undone by regional politics and internal fighting. This led to violence and disruption of campus life. In 2006, for these reasons and due to a clash between teachers and students, the union elections stopped being held,” Jihad said.Because of these concerns, he added, the administration wanted the constitution to be drafted carefully, in accordance with the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations.When Beeran conveyed this to the protesting students — who included five on hunger strike — around 6 pm, they insisted on a fixed timeline.Beeran said when he returned to the administration with this, he was shown the academic calendar. The winter semester was nearing its end, while the summer semester was scheduled to begin in mid-January. If the constitution were approved by February and elections held in March, the elected union would have a tenure of only two months before the academic session ended in May. Fresh elections would then be required for the next batch.Story continues below this adThe administration also pointed out that, as Jamia is a Central university, the constitution would require the President’s approval.Beeran said he suggested that the constitution be approved by the end of May and elections held within six weeks of the next academic session – scheduled to begin in mid-July. “They were first taken aback by the exact dates but later agreed,” he added.While they agreed to put this down in writing, Jihad said the administration gave verbal assurances that five students would be included in the body drafting the constitution, allowing them to offer suggestions before it was approved and made public.At one point, Jihad said, the diversity of groups participating in the protest had made it difficult to decide who would represent the students in the negotiations.Story continues below this adDuring one round of talks, professors and officials went to the Political Science building, where the protesters had been camping, and asked who would represent those on hunger strikers before the VC. More than 20 students raised their hands. The VC then invited one representative each from the main student organisations – MSF, AISA, NSUI, SFI, the Fraternity Movement and Disha.The delegation reached the VC’s office around 10 pm with a letter listing three demands – a date for implementation of the constitution; a timeline for elections within six weeks of the next academic session; and withdrawal of all showcause notices, disciplinary action, rustications, suspensions and campus bans issued during the protest.The protest, they said, would end once all three were accepted in writing.By 11 pm, the Registrar had issued the order setting out the election timeline, bringing the protest to an end. Students celebrated through the night.Story continues below this adOn October 30, the Jamia administration issued another order announcing that offline classes and academic activities would resume on campus from November 10.