Students at India’s top universities have hit the streets after a violent showdown with police at the weekend over a new law that awards Indian nationality to non-Muslims from three neighbouring countries.
There were rallies at about 40 campuses across the country on Tuesday, including Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, where Sunday’s clashes left dozens of students injured as police used tear gas and rubber bullets on demonstrators.
Students and Muslims across the country have been angered by the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act.
The act guarantees citizenship without papers to immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who belong to six major religions – except Islam, the faith of 200 million people in the country.
“We are silently protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act and police brutality on the students,” said Samreen, a student at Jamia Millia who participated in protests on Tuesday.
“Police are heavily deployed in and around the campus area. But we will continue our protest to make our voices heard.”
About 30 kilometres from the university, a silent demonstration against the law turned violent in a Muslim-majority neighbourhood when protesters poured into the streets and threw bricks at police lines.
Police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse the mob but were outnumbered by about 2,000 protesters.
At least two policemen were injured in the clashes and nearly 20 protesters were detained.
In Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, police entered the campus of the Chennai University and interrupted students while they were deciding their next course of action after two days of protests over the police crackdown at Jamia.
With rallies rapidly spreading across the country and students’ anger simmering, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the Citizenship Amendment Act would have no effect on the citizenship of any Indian, no matter their religion.
But protesters say the law is anti-Muslim and discriminatory.
In India’s north-east, particularly Assam state, student unions have organised protests that were joined by locals against the law.
They fear it will reduce the inhabitants to a minority after Bangladeshi immigrants become citizens, threatening their language and culture.
“This law is unconstitutional,” said Afreen, a journalism student at Jamia Millia Islamia University. "No law has been made in the country on the basis of religion.
"Laws are based on human grounds. How did they exclude Muslims?"
More than 100 students were badly injured, some with severe fractures, while two suffered bullet wounds in the clashes on Sunday that erupted after a march outside the university gates against the law turned violent.
The clashes led to violent demonstrations in Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh the same evening, where students shouted slogans against the police action in New Delhi and threw stones at policemen.
Officers replied with tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd. At least 60 students were injured.
The incidents eventually led to intensified protests across campuses in the country.
Student communities from top-notch colleges and universities have extended their support to the protesters.
Student unions have called for an all-India protest on Wednesday to demand a repeal of the law and action against police after the violent clashes.
“We are demanding a rollback of Citizenship Amendment Act and action against police in Delhi and Aligarh for their crackdown on students,” said Sandeep Saurav, president of the All India Student Association, which is organising the national rally.
“We expect hundreds of thousands of students joining the protests that will be seen from south to north to east and west India.”
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
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Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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