Background
The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has suspended a PhD student, Ramadas Prinisivanandan, for two years due to activities deemed “not in the interest of the nation”.
Incident Details
A notice dated March 7, 2024, accused Prinisivanandan of screening Anand Patwardhan’s documentary ‘Ram ke Naam’ on January 26 as a protest against the Ram Mandir idol consecration in Ayodhya.
Prinisivanandan was also accused of misusing the name of the research institute by participating in a protest in Delhi under the banner PSF-TISS (Progressive Student Forum).
Furthermore, he screened a banned BBC documentary on campus and invited controversial guest speakers during an event.
Consequences
The disciplinary committee of TISS recommended a two-year suspension for Prinisivanandan, prohibiting him from entering any TISS campuses.
Despite multiple advisories to prioritize academic commitments, Prinisivanandan allegedly failed to comply and unlawfully overstayed in his allotted hostel at the TISS Mumbai campus.
Response
Prinisivanandan, from Kerala, plans to appeal the suspension before the institute’s internal authority.
In a statement, TISS emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that such activities are considered anti-national and violate the institution’s principles.