NEW DELHI: For the first time, Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI) has removed Thiruvananthapuram, the only entrance test center in South India, sparking criticism from students on social media. Meanwhile, the university has added two new test centers in North and Central India.

Last year, entrance test centres included Delhi, Lucknow, Guwahati, Patna, Kolkata, Srinagar, and Thiruvananthapuram. This year, test centres are in Delhi, Lucknow, Guwahati, Patna, Kolkata, Srinagar, Malegaon, and Bhopal, with the last two making their debuts as test centres.

Rajya Sabha MP Haris Beeran on Friday wrote to the Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia stating, “I would like to bring to your attention a matter of urgent concern regarding the removal of the Thiruvananthapuram entrance examination centre from the list of multi-city centres for the Jamia Millia Islamia entrance examinations for the academic year 2025-26.”

Beeran further added, “For several years, JMI has provided an entrance test centre in Kerala, either in Thiruvananthapuram or Calicut, facilitating students from the state to appear for examinations without excessive financial and logistical burdens. However, with the removal of this centre from the prospectus this year, over 2000 students from Kerala who intended to apply for various programs at JMI are now left in distress.”