Bombay HC dismisses TISS Ph.D student’s plea against his suspension for ‘anti-national activities’ 

Bombay High Court dismisses petition by Dalit Ph.D scholar challenging TISS suspension for misconduct and anti-national activities.

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday (March 12, 2025) dismissed a petition filed by Dalit Ph.D scholar Ramadas K.S., challenging his suspension by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) last year for alleged repetitive misconduct and anti-national activities. 

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He had been suspended for his partcipation in a demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and for organising the screening of a documentary about the Ayodhya dispute. TISS argued that he broke its rules by taking part in politically motivated protests even while being supported by Central government scholarships for Scheduled Caste students. A TISS committee had suspended him for a two year period.

In a detailed order, a Division Bench of Justices A.S. Chandurkar and M.M. Sathaye observed, “In the aforesaid facts and circumstances, having ourselves considered the material on record, we do not find that the impugned Committee report suspending the Petitioner for two years, suffers from any perversity or illegality. The impugned report and consequent action of suspension are based on material available on record and it is proportionate. We find that this is not a fit case to interfere. There is no merit in the petition and the same is dismissed.” 

Mr. Ramadas first enrolled at TISS in 2015, for a Master’s degree in Media and Cultural Studies, and was also awarded a scholarship by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. In 2017, he enrolled in the integrated M.Phil and Ph.D programme in Development Studies, but deferred admission for a year and joined in 2018. He successfully finished his M.Phil. degree in 2021. On February 8, 2023, he was awarded a national fellowship for Scheduled Caste students on the basis of his performance in the UGC-NET examination.   

On April 21, 2023, Mr. Ramadas received a show cause notice regarding a protest by him and other students held on March 21 that year, since they were denied permission to hold a guest lecture on the occasion of Bhagat Singh’s 92nd death anniversary. He replied to the show cause on April 27 that year, saying that a peaceful protest had been held outside the Director’s bungalow.

TISS released a circular on June 14, 2023, informing students that propagating their personal views as the views of the Institute would be seen as a violation of the Student Code of Conduct, as well as the Honour Code applicable to students.