After reports emerged about the suspension of a PhD student, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) administration released a public notice on April 20 denouncing these reports as malicious propaganda. The notice stated that the action taken against Ramadasa Prini Srinivasan followed a detailed inquiry by an empowered committee into his repeated misconduct over time.
“Throughout his tenure, Ramadas KS exhibited a shift in focus towards activities unrelated to his academic pursuits, engaging in events, protests, and other activities influenced by personal political agendas. Despite repeated verbal and written advisories from the TISS Administration to prioritise academic commitments, Ramadas KS failed to comply,” states the public notice.
The notice also listed specific activities by Ramadas both inside and outside the institute campus that were not in accordance with student conduct standards, leading to repeated warnings.
Photo: X/@TISSpeak) |
On Wednesday, the institute administration issued a suspension order to Ramadas, a PhD candidate from the School of Development Studies at TISS. The order, dated April 18, referred to a showcause notice issued in March asking for Ramadas's explanation regarding repetitive misconduct and anti-national activities. Ramadas was suspended for two years and barred from entering all campuses.
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The Progressive Students Forum (PSF) at TISS alleged that the showcause notice was issued to their former general secretary following Ramadas's participation in a protest march held in January 2024 where student organizations voiced concerns about BJP government policies, especially regarding the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
However, according to the institute, the showcause notice and suspension order were due to Ramadas's repetitive engagement in unlawful activities during protests, including the protest march, and for disobeying institute rules and regulations. The notice emphasized that the actions taken were in accordance with TISS regulations and standards of conduct, noting that Ramadas had ample opportunity to present his side of the story.
The notice also points out Ramadas's unlawful occupancy of hostel facilities, which deprived other deserving PhD scholars waiting in line.
Following the news reports, other student organizations, including the Students Federation of India (SFI), issued statements on Saturday supporting Ramadas and requesting the TISS Administration to revoke the suspension.
