New Delhi: Neha Bora, president of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), has emerged as a prominent face of the ongoing protests, drawing attention for her participation in demonstrations, confrontations with police and march alongside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
On October 11, Bora announced a protest near Delhi’s RK Ashram Metro station. As police began detaining demonstrators, a woman dressed in a style similar to Bora’s was mistaken by some media outlets for the student leader. Bora, however, was elsewhere, with videos later showing her in Connaught Place. The episode added to the attention surrounding her role in the protests.
Bora, 29, hails from Khatima in Uttarakhand. Her father served in the Army, and she spent much of her childhood in different cities. She completed her Class 10 and Class 12 education in West Bengal, where she began reading left-wing writers and thinkers, including Charu Mazumdar, Pablo Neruda and Arundhati Roy.
She graduated from Delhi University and pursued postgraduate studies at Dr BR Ambedkar University. During this period, she developed an interest in theatre and became associated with the Sangwari Theatre Group. Bora has said theatre introduced her to creative people and new forms of knowledge beyond what she felt the formal education system offered.
Her involvement in student politics grew during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests, when she saw students take their ideas from books, films and documentaries into street demonstrations and political activism.
In 2021, Bora joined Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where she began a PhD in theatre and performance studies at the School of Arts and Aesthetics. She became more active in AISA’s political activities and protests and was elected the organisation’s president in December 2024. AISA, founded in 1990, is associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist).
Bora was detained by police on February 26, 2026, following a protest against the JNU vice-chancellor and was subsequently sent to Tihar Jail. She was released on March 1, according to the account. Since then, she has travelled to several cities to participate in student demonstrations and has increasingly presented herself as a student and Gen-Z leader.
In August, Bora visited Ranchi to join protests over alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and JSSC-CGL examinations. During the demonstrations, a man allegedly threw ink at her.
Her approach to protest has drawn attention for its visible, street-level mobilisation, placing her among the student activists who have become prominent in recent demonstrations. Her appearance alongside Rahul Gandhi has further increased public interest in her background and political activism.
