TISS suspends student Ramadas Prinisivanandan for “Anti-National” activities.

Ramadas Prinisivanandan, a 30-year-old pursuing his doctorate in Development Studies, has faced debarment from all TISS campuses in Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad, and Guwahati. The decision came after a notice dated March 7 cited various instances, including the screening of controversial documentaries and organising events with guest speakers viewed as controversial. TISS considered these actions as acts of dishonour and protest against certain events, leading to allegations of intentional and deliberate involvement in such activities in the name of freedom of speech and expression. The notice accused Prinisivanandan of carrying out actions not in the national interest, referring to them as anti-national and bringing a bad name to the nation.

It stated that such activities were deemed as serious criminal offenses, leading to the recommendation of a two-year suspension from the institute and the debarment from all TISS campuses. Prinisivanandan, who hails from Kerala, expressed his intention to appeal against the suspension. The Progressive Student Forum, a Left-leaning student body he is associated with, suggested that the march referred to in the TISS notice was related to “anti-student policies in the form of the National Education Policy”. It also highlighted the reputed guests invited to the Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture and their contributions.

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