Students of Jagannath University’s 2024–25 academic session (20th batch) staged a protest on Sunday, January 25, in front of the university’s administrative building, alleging discrimination in the first installment list of the special scholarship program. They claimed their batch was excluded while earlier batches were included and demanded immediate inclusion in the scholarship list. Protesters chanted slogans asserting their right to the scholarship and warned of tougher programs if their demands were not met.

The university administration had published the special scholarship list on January 23, naming 10,319 students. Among them, 8,330 were from the 2019–20 to 2023–24 sessions in the first list, and 1,989 more were added in a second list. Expelled students, quota students, and those with low CGPA were excluded. JnUCSU General Secretary and Islami Chhatra Shibir’s JnU unit secretary Abdul Alim Arif supported the protesters, calling their demand logical. The JnU unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal also expressed solidarity and urged the administration to accept the students’ demands promptly.

The protesting students warned that failure to revise the list would lead to intensified demonstrations.