Congress slams IIM Jammu for fining students absent from PM’s birthday event

The Congress on Saturday (September 19, 2026) criticised the notice issued by Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu to impose a fine of ₹500 on students who were absent from the lamp-lighting ceremony held on the campus on Thursday (September 17, 2026) to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.

“Why should attendance at PM Modi’s birthday celebration be mandatory for students? Is this an academic responsibility at an IIM, or has PM Modi’s publicity been brought onto the campus as a compulsory exercise?” Congress MP and party in-charge of J&K Syed Naseer Hussain said in a post on social media platform X.

IIM Jammu had issued a notice to students who did not attend a “mandatory Deepak Lighting Ceremony held on September 17”, Mr. Hussain said.

Students absent at the ceremony would be fined ₹500 if they failed to submit a reply by Sunday (September 19, 2026), IIM Jammu has said.

“Educational institutions should nurture independent minds, not compel students to attend political leaders‘ celebrations or threaten them with penalties. The BJP’s publicity stunts should be kept out of our premier educational institutions,” Mr. Hussian said.

An IIM Jammu notice, posted by the Congress leader online, informed students that they had been “marked absent from Deepak Lighting Ceremony on 17/09/2026, despite the event being mandatory”.

“You are hereby required to provide a written explanation stating the reason for your absence from the event. Please note that an exemption from the absence will be considered only on medical grounds, and the same must be supported by an official written note from Sanjeevni specifically recommending bed rest for the concerned period,” the notice said.