TISS student demands HC against ‘arbitrary’ suspension for participating in protest march | India News

MUMBAI: Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) research scholar Ramadas KS has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against the institute’s suspension order. In an order issued last month, he was suspended from the institute for two years and barred from entering all four campus premises. In his petition, Ramadas has appealed to the court to quash the inquiry report of the institute’s empowered committee and set aside the suspension order and restore his entitlements as a student. He said he was “illegally, arbitrarily and unjustifiably suspended from the institute.”

Ramadas has also requested the withdrawal of the institute’s public notice dated April 20, two days after the suspension order was issued. The petition said the public announcement was “malicious” and “defamatory” in nature and posed “serious danger to his life and academic activities.” He also pointed out that his legitimate participation in student life and the exercise of his constitutional rights were deemed “anti-national” by the institute.

The petition also seeks directions to the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to ensure continuation and monthly disbursement of the national scholarship he was entitled to. In his petition, Ramadas mentioned that he did not receive the scholarship amount for April 2024 due to the suspension order. Ramadas also ordered an interim stay of the suspension order and continued community service pending the hearing and final determination of the petition.

UGC is also one of the respondents in the petition as the student entitlements guidelines grant it freedom of thought and expression. The petition mentioned that he had moved the court as the institute’s student handbook does not contain details of the internal appeal process against the order of an empowered committee. It also added that the public notice was issued by the highest authority and therefore he would not receive an independent or fair hearing in the appeal process.

The research scientist was suspended on April 18 based on the recommendations of the empowered committee. He was accused of taking part in a protest march in New Delhi in January and urging people to watch the documentary “Ram ke Naam” during Pran Pratishthan.

Ramadas claimed in his petition that he participated in the protest march in his personal capacity as a member of two student organizations and that the march was intended to address issues related to education, including the national education policy, fee hikes, employment guarantees, among others. He also stated that he did not organize a screening of the documentary but merely posted a message in Malayalam urging people to watch the award-winning documentary. He claimed that the accusation that he organized a demonstration was unfounded and false.