The Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by Dalit PhD scholar and left student leader Ramadas K.S. against his two-year arbitrary suspension from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) for alleged “repetitive misconduct and anti-national activities.”
The Division Bench of Justices Atul S. Chandurkar and M.M. Sathaye ruled, “We find that this is not a fit case to interfere. There is no merit in the petition and the same is dismissed.”
Ramadas, a member of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF)-TISS, had approached the court in May 2024, seeking the revocation of his suspension, arguing that the university had imposed it without considering his explanations. The institution, however, justified the suspension based on an Empowered Committee’s findings, which examined his conduct, including participation in protests.
TISS cited his involvement in a January 2024 protest in Delhi under the Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF)-TISS banner, stating that his actions were not in the interest of the nation. The university further emphasized that a public institution could not permit students to engage in activities deemed harmful to national interests.
In his petition, Ramadas contended that his suspension violated constitutional rights, particularly freedom of speech and association. He also cited University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, which encourage universities to nurture spaces for critical thought and open debate without discrimination. He claimed that TISS had fabricated a narrative to vilify him and that he was being punished for his political beliefs.
His legal representatives, advocates Lara Jesani and Rishika Agarwal, challenged the findings of the Empowered Committee, arguing that the inquiry was conducted arbitrarily without affording him a personal hearing. Additionally, they pointed out that TISS misled the court by citing an outdated 2016-17 PhD handbook, which allegedly allowed an appeal before the vice-chancellor. Ramadas asserted that the 2023-24 handbook contained no such provision.
TISS, represented by advocates Rajeev Panday and Ashish Kanojia, countered these claims, stating that its disciplinary decisions were made by a “high-level common committee” established to address “increasing issues of serious misconduct by the students.” The institute also claimed that after issuing the suspension order, it faced pressure from political parties and social media campaigns, arguing that “the petitioner is using his influence and strong political links to pressurise the institute.”
Earlier, in July 2024, the Bombay High Court had directed TISS to upload Ramadas’ documents to ensure the continuation of his fellowship while his plea was pending. However, the court has now dismissed his petition “with no order as to cost.”
Ramadas, a Dalit student from Kerala’s Wayanad, is a research scholar in Development Studies at the TISS Mumbai campus. The administration also debarred his entry across all TISS campuses.
Ramadas is a former general secretary of the Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF), a left students’ collective at TISS Mumbai, which has been vehemently opposing the institute’s administration’s policies. Ramadas, who is an active student leader in TISS Mumbai, is now a member of the Central Executive Committee of SFI and Joint Secretary of SFI Maharashtra.
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