38 Buildings, 15-Day Deadline: Will Bulldozers Roll Into Azam Khan's Dream University Soon?

Published 16 July 2026 · india

38 Buildings, 15-Day Deadline: Will Bulldozers Roll Into Azam Khan's Dream University Soon? Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 15:06 IST The

38 Buildings, 15-Day Deadline: Will Bulldozers Roll Into Azam Khan's Dream University Soon? Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 15:06 IST The Rampur Development Authority has issued a demolition notice for 38 buildings on the sprawling campus, directing the university management to remove the unauthorised structures Rapid Read Established by the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust in 2006 and granted university status in 2012, the institution was envisioned as a world-class centre for higher education. (X) The future of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan’s ambitious Mohammad Ali Jauhar University hangs in the balance after the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) issued a demolition notice for 38 buildings on the sprawling campus, directing the university management to remove the allegedly unauthorised structures within 15 days or face demolition by the authorities. The action has reignited the long-running legal and political battle surrounding the university, raising a question that has dominated political discussions in Uttar Pradesh: Will Azam Khan’s dream project, once showcased as a symbol of educational empowerment, now face the bulldozer? Rampur District Magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi said the university management has been given 15 days to comply with the notice. “The university management has been directed to remove the unauthorised constructions within the stipulated period. If it fails to do so, the Rampur Development Authority will proceed with demolition in accordance with the law and recover the cost from the management," he said. According to the authority, the 38 buildings were allegedly constructed without obtaining mandatory building plan approvals under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act. Officials said the demolition order was passed after following the prescribed legal procedure and considering the university’s response. For Azam Khan, Mohammad Ali Jauhar University is far more than an educational institution.

Established by the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust in 2006 and granted university status in 2012, the institution was envisioned as a world-class centre for higher education, particularly for students from minority and economically weaker communities. Spread across hundreds of acres in Rampur, the university houses faculties of medicine, engineering, law, education, agriculture and humanities. It also includes a medical college, hospital, library, hostels and residential facilities. Throughout his political career, Khan repeatedly described the university as his “dream project" and the “mission of his life". During the Samajwadi Party government led by Akhilesh Yadav, he frequently showcased the institution as a model of educational development in western Uttar Pradesh. Supporters credit the university with expanding access to professional education in Rampur, while critics have consistently questioned the manner in which land for the campus was acquired and developed. A Controversy That Refuses To Die The latest demolition notice is only one chapter in a series of legal disputes involving the university and its founder. Since 2019, Khan, his wife Dr Tazeen Fatima, son Abdullah Azam Khan and members of the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust have faced dozens of criminal cases related to alleged illegal land acquisition, encroachment on government property, forgery and misuse of public land. Among the most contentious allegations is that land belonging to farmers, government departments and even enemy property was illegally merged into the university campus. The Uttar Pradesh government has also cancelled leases of certain parcels of land allotted to the university, arguing that the terms of allotment had been violated. The Allahabad High Court upheld the government’s decision, while the Supreme Court later declined to interfere. Over the years, several portions of the campus, including boundary walls and entrance structures, have also come under the scanner of the district administration.