Exclusive | Frisking, bag checks: South Asian University brings in new security measures for students

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jun 5, 2026 02:18 PM IST

The university reiterated that the possession, use, consumption, storage or distribution of prohibited items, is strictly prohibited. (Credit: sau.int)

Students at South Asian University (SAU) in Delhi may now be subjected to frisking and bag checks and could face disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion, for refusing to comply with the new security measures introduced by the campus this week, The Indian Express has learnt.

In a notification titled “Enhanced Campus Security Measures”, issued on June 2, security personnel are authorised to inspect students’ belongings and conduct security screening on campus.

The move, the university said, was necessitated by “repeated instances of prohibited items and substances being detected and found on the premises”.

Under the new rules, “bags, backpacks, and other personal belongings may be subject to inspection at entry/exit points and elsewhere on campus, as deemed necessary by authorised security personnel”.

The notification further states that “students may be subjected to frisking or other appropriate security screening measures when considered necessary.”

The notification also warns that cooperation with security personnel is mandatory. “… Refusal to comply, obstruction, or misconduct towards security personnel will be treated as a serious disciplinary matter,” it states.

The university reiterated that the possession, use, consumption, storage or distribution of prohibited items, including “narcotic drugs, alcohol, weapons, explosives, or other hazardous materials”, is strictly prohibited.

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“Any student found in violation of this policy shall face strict disciplinary action as per the ‘Student Code of Conduct’ of South Asian University, that may lead to suspension or expulsion,” the notification reads.

All students have been directed to carry valid university identity cards at all times and produce them upon request.

Explaining the rationale behind the move, the university, in the notification, said the measures were being implemented “solely in the interests of campus safety, security, and the collective well-being of the student community.”

The notification further notes that the university “reserves the right to take such additional security measures as may be considered necessary from time to time to protect persons, property, and institutional interests”.

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The Indian Express reached out to SAU President K K Aggarwal about the move, who told this newspaper that he wasn’t aware of the development. Dean of Students Navnit Jha and Assistant Director (SG) Student Support Services Vineet Ghildyal were also contacted, but no response was received.

The move follows a similar debate that unfolded at Ashoka University in Sonipat, Haryana, in January 2025, when students protested the installation of baggage scanners and metal detectors on campus, describing the measures as a “blatant violation of privacy”.

Defending the decision at the time, Ashoka University had told The Indian Express that the measures had been introduced “to enhance safety and welfare of students and campus residents”.

The university had also said the changes were implemented “in consultation with faculty and staff representatives and keeping the student government and campus ministry involved”, adding that the “safety of students and their well-being is of paramount concern to us”.

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Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions.

Professional Profile

Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region.

Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice.

Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility.

She has also reported widely on:

* Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs

* Policy responses to campus mental health

* Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University

* Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy

Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US.

Reporting Style

Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom.

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1. Express Investigation Series

JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025)

An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors.

JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025)

The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus.

2. International Education & Immigration

‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025)

H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025)

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What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025)

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‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025)

3. Academic Freedom & Policy

Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025)

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4. Mental Health on Campuses

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