Nashra Naim becomes first woman vice-president of AMU students' union in 105-year history

Dhaka, Bangladesh || Saturday, 7 November 2026 || 22 Kartik 1433

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Nashra Naim becomes first woman vice-president of AMU students' union in 105-year history

Published : Saturday, 7 November, 2026 at 12:46 PM, Update: 07.11.2026 12:47:26 PM, Count : 41

Nashra Naim becomes first woman vice-president of AMU students' union in 105-year history

Nashra Naim has made history by becoming the first woman to be elected vice-president of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Students' Union in the institution's 105-year history.

She secured 7,091 votes, defeating her nearest rival, who received 5,818 votes, according to the election results reported by PTI.

Women candidates also achieved a record milestone, winning five of the 10 cabinet member positions and significantly increasing their representation in the students' union.

Mohammad Noman Ashraf was elected president with a victory margin of more than 4,100 votes, while Mohammad Hamdan won the secretary's post.

The results were announced by Professor Javaid Talib, chief election officer for the AMUSU and AMU Court elections, and Professor Nazia Hasan, chief election officer for the Women's College Students' Union elections.

The election was particularly significant as it took place after an eight-year gap, following years of student protests demanding the restoration of the union.

A senior faculty member said the ongoing Gen Z protests had also influenced the election campaign. According to the faculty member, unlike previous elections, which largely focused on campus-related issues, this year's campaign also addressed broader national concerns, including issues affecting Muslims.

AMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Naima Khatoon praised the peaceful conduct of the election and welcomed the increased participation and representation of women, highlighting the importance of women's empowerment.

'Very important to keep politics alive'

Speaking to The Indian Express, Naim, an LLB student from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, said she believes it is essential to keep politics alive.

She was determined to win the election and had initially considered contesting for the president's position. However, her father, an alumnus of the university, advised her that the campus might not be ready to elect a woman president immediately after the restoration of the students' union.

Naim said she took his advice into consideration and decided to contest for vice-president instead. She also acknowledged her family's support throughout the campaign.

Naim has a long association with AMU. She completed her higher secondary education at the university's Women's College, while her father is also an alumnus of the institution.

An active participant in the student protests, she identified updating the outdated academic curriculum and easing restrictions on informal student gathering spaces as two major priorities of her campaign.

She also stressed the importance of political awareness, saying students need to understand how government and administrative decisions affect their lives and society.

According to Naim, growing individualism, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic, has weakened students' sense of community and their engagement with broader social issues.

She hopes the revival of student elections and campus politics will help create an environment that encourages future leadership from the university.

"There is a lack of leadership from AMU. There was no intellectual leadership, I would say, for a long time," she said, adding that the negative perception of leadership had also been influenced by regional lobbying in campus elections.

AMU held its students' union election on November 5, ending an eight-year suspension imposed in 2019 over concerns about campus violence, indiscipline and law and order.

The election followed 19 days of intense student protests, led by an MA student who went on a hunger strike. The administration eventually agreed to restore the union.

The development was followed by similar protests at Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia, where students had also been demanding the restoration of union elections after nearly two decades.

Naim's historic victory has added further significance to the revival of student politics at AMU.

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