Days after a group of students boycotted the mid-term examinations in protest against disciplinary action, the Indian Institute of Management Nagpur (IIM-Nagpur) has permitted all first-year students — including those who were initially barred — to sit for the ongoing exams, assuring that no student will face academic loss.
The move signals a cooling of tensions that arose when the administration decided to debar more than 40 first-year students for allegedly staying off campus overnight without prior permission. In a rare display of collective protest, over 60 students had skipped their mid-term examinations earlier this week.
Officials stated, “Permission has now been granted to all students to take the exams. Both first- and second-year examinations are currently underway. A new date will be announced for the paper that some students missed, after the mid-terms conclude. No student will suffer academic loss.”
The administration clarified that the restriction had applied only to around 40 first-year students and was not a blanket ban. Although several students initially boycotted in solidarity, more than 100 students from a batch of approximately 300 ultimately appeared for the exams once they began. Second-year students were not affected by the disciplinary action.
Officials indicated that some senior students who had already secured campus placements may have been concerned about possible repercussions and, as a result, contacted the media. They reiterated that there was no intention to cause academic harm and emphasized that provisions are in place for students to reappear for mid-term examinations if required.
The institute also dismissed media reports linking the issue to Valentine’s Day celebrations on February 14, clarifying that a conference was being held on campus that day.
The situation escalated after nearly 75 students went out for dinner on the night of February 21. According to students, two campus clubs had informed authorities that the group would be returning late. However, upon their return — which included both first-year and senior students — they were stopped at the campus gate. The following day, several first-year students received an email titled, “IIMN MBA Barred from Appearing in Mid-Term Examinations 24th and 25th Feb 2026.”