MUMBAI: Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) research scholar,
Ramadas KS
, has moved the Bombay High Court against the institute's
suspension
order. He was suspended for two years from the institute and debarred from entering all the four campuses, in an order passed last month. In his petition, Ramadas has appealed to the court to set aside the inquiry report of the institute's empowered committee and the revocation of the suspension order and restore his entitlements as a student.
He said that he was 'unlawfully, arbitrarily and unfairly suspended by the institute'
Ramadas has also asked for the withdrawal of the public notice issued by the institute on April 20, two days after the suspension order was passed. The public notice, stated the petition, was 'malicious' and 'defamatory' in nature and 'puts his life and academic pursuits under grave threat'. He also pointed out that his legitimate participation in student life and exercise of his constitutional rights has been deemed as 'anti-national' by the institute.
The petition also seeks directions to the
union ministry of social justice
and empowerment to ensure the continuation and monthly disbursal of the national fellowship he was entitled to. In his petition, Ramadas mentioned that he did not receive the fellowship amount for April 2024, in pursuance of the suspension order. Ramadas has also set an interim stay on the suspension order and the continuation of the fellowship pending the hearing and the final disposal of the petition.
UGC is also one of the respondents in the petition, as the guidelines for students' entitlements allows him freedom of thought and expression. The petition mentioned that he moved the court as the students' handbook of the institute does not provide details on the internal appeal process against an empowered committee's order. It also added that the public notice was issued by the highest authority and therefore, he would not get an independent or fair hearing in the appeal.
The research scholar was suspended on April 18 based on the recommendations of the empowered committee. He was accused of participating in a
protest march
in New Delhi in January and also for urging people to watch the documentary 'Ram ke Naam' during the Pran Pratishthan.
Ramadas, in his petition, claimed that he had attended the protest march in his personal capacity as a member of two students' organisations and that the march was to raise issues related to education, including the
National Education Policy
, fee hikes, employment guarantee, among others. He also stated that he had not organised any screening of the documentary but only posted a message in Malayalam urging people to watch the award-winning documentary. He claimed that the accusation that he had organised a screening was baseless and false.
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