Congress slams IIM Jammu for fining students absent from PM’s birthday event
The notice says students absent from the ‘mandatory Deepak Lighting Ceremony held on September 17’ to celebrate Narendra Modi’s birthday will be fined ₹500 if they fail to submit a reply
On September 19, 2026, the Indian National Congress criticized the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu for imposing a fine of ₹500 on students who missed the lamp-lighting ceremony held on the campus to commemorate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. The Congress MP and J&K party in-charge Syed Naseer Hussain questioned the mandatory attendance at such events, asking if it was an academic responsibility or a publicity stunt.
The IIM Jammu had issued a notice to absent students, stating that they would be fined ₹500 if they did not submit a written explanation by a Sunday deadline. Hussain emphasized that educational institutions should foster independent thinking, not coerce students into attending political leader's celebrations, and said the BJP should keep their publicity stunts out of premier educational institutions.
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