Post suspension of PhD scholar, TISS bans political activities on all campuses including Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has banned all political and non-political activities on its four campuses and online platforms.

TISS has campuses in Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad, and Guwahati

With the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force, TISS has prohibited political and nonpolitical activities till the completion of the election process.

This comes days after a Dalit PhD scholar was suspended and banned from entering all the campuses of TISS.

According to the April 24 circular, no demonstrations, protests, or processions should be held within or in front of the gate of all TISS campuses.

Screening, broadcast, or online viewing of any event, activity, seminar, workshop, or meeting on political issues has been banned.

The campus should not have any kind of march, flash - mob, or online petition, in solidarity with or in support of any political party or politicians.

"There should be no interruption, or hindrance in the smooth functioning of the Institute, Using the property of the Institute for erecting flags, putting up banners, pasting notices, or writing slogans is barred. There should be no forceful entering into the campus by outsiders. Even after authorized entry into the campus, no one should create chaos, engage in verbal arguments and create disorder with the officers and employees of the Institute and also disturb the overall peaceful environment of the campus," the order said.

Further, the Institute has also asked the students to compulsorily carry their identity cards on campus

Students resent circular

Students have alleged that the circular is intended to suppress the support for Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, the PhD student from the institute’s School of Development Studies, who was suspended last week, following a show-cause notice sent to him in March regarding his “repetitive misconduct” and “anti-national activities”. They have alleged that the order is suppressing their freedom.

Last week, Ramadas Prini, general secretary of Progressive Students Forum (PSF) was suspended for two years and banned from all TISS campuses including Hyderabad.