Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai has suspended a PhD student for two years for allegedly indulging in actions which have been “not in the interest of the nation”, and referred to cases like him taking part in a protest in Delhi beneath the PSF-TISS banner.
Ramadas Prinisivanandan (30), who’s pursuing his doctorate in Development Studies, has additionally been barred from getting into the TISS campuses in Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad and Guwahati.
In a discover despatched to Mr. Prinisivanandan dated March 7, TISS referred to his function in screening the documentary ‘Ram Ke Naam’ on January 26 as a “mark of dishonour and protest” in opposition to the Ram Mandir idol consecration in Ayodhya.
It mentioned that whereas taking part in the protest in Delhi beneath the banner PSF-TISS, the institute’s identify was “misused”, which wrongfully created an impression that the PSF had some affiliation with the TISS and its views have been endorsed by the institute.
PSF refers to Progressive Student Forum, a Left-leaning organisation.
Mr. Prinisivanandan has additionally been accused of screening a banned BBC documentary on the TISS campus final January in addition to organising the Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture by inviting “controversial guest speakers”.
“Your activities are not in the interest of the nation. Being a public institution, TISS cannot permit or tolerate its students indulging in such activities which are anti-national and bring a bad name to the nation. Hence all such activities fall under the category of serious criminal offence,” the March 7 discover learn.
These points are “very serious and it is discernible that you are intentionally and deliberately indulging in such unlawful activities in the name of freedom of speech and expression,” the discover added.
A subsequent communication dated April 18 knowledgeable him that the institute’s disciplinary committee had advisable his suspension for two years, and he shall be barred from getting into all campuses of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Mr. Prinisivanandan, who hails from Kerala, informed PTI that he’ll attraction in opposition to the suspension earlier than the institute’s inner authority.
In an announcement issued on late Saturday night, the TISS claimed that regardless of repeated verbal and written advisories from its administration to prioritise tutorial commitments, Mr. Prinisivanandan didn’t comply.
“He continued to overstay unlawfully in his allotted hostel at the TISS, Mumbai campus, ignoring multiple reminders from the administration,” it alleged.
His “unlawful overstay” disadvantaged different deserving PhD students of hostel lodging, the assertion claimed.
The BBC documentary allegedly screened by Mr. Prinisivanandan had been banned by the Government of India as being a propaganda film of the western media, whereas the documentary ‘Ram ke Naam’, additionally “deemed propaganda by the Government of India,” was not sanctioned for viewing throughout the Pran Pratishthan Diwas, the TISS mentioned.
The Progressive Student Forum with which Mr. Prinisivanandan is related claimed that the march in Delhi referred to by the TISS was associated to “anti-student policies in the form of the National Education Policy”.
It additionally claimed that the Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture has had the excellence of inviting well-known teachers, students and human rights activists, together with two Ramon Magsaysay awardees.