The future of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, the educational institution established by senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, comes under fresh uncertainty after the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) declares 38 of the university’s 40 buildings unauthorised for allegedly being constructed without approved building plans.
On Wednesday, the RDA directs the university management to demolish the 38 unauthorised structures within 20 days, failing which the authority says it will carry out the demolition and recover the costs from the university.
During the hearing, the university argues that its campus is located in Singan Khera village, which did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Rampur Development Authority until September 27, 2024, media reports said.
According to the university, when the buildings were constructed, the village was outside both the RDA limits and municipal boundaries. Therefore, there was no legal requirement to obtain approval for building plans from the development authority. The university further contends that the construction had already been completed before the village came under the RDA’s jurisdiction, making it legally incorrect to declare the buildings unauthorised under the current regulations.
However, Rampur District Magistrate and RDA Vice-Chairman Ajay Kumar Dwivedi rejects these arguments and upholds the proceedings initiated by the authority.
The university also points out that the Rampur Regulated Area, created in 1985, covered 29 villages, but Singan Khera was not among them. Even after the Rampur Development Authority was constituted in 2005, the village remained outside its jurisdiction. According to the university, Singan Khera became part of the RDA only on September 27, 2024, and therefore the authority cannot retrospectively declare the buildings illegal for lacking approvals that were not legally required at the time.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) declares the 3-kilometre road passing through the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University campus a public road and installs signboards at the university’s main gate stating that it is open for public use.
Reacting to the RDA’s order, Asim Raja, Samajwadi Party’s Rampur city president and a close associate of Azam Khan, announces that the university will challenge the decision in court. Alleging political vendetta, Raja says, “The Uttar Pradesh government’s intention is not fair. This action is politically motivated. We will approach the higher courts and pursue every legal remedy available.”
The university currently has more than 2,500 students enrolled. The demolition order raises concerns about the future of students, faculty members and staff associated with the institution.
The university administration has not yet issued an official statement following the order.
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