TISS bans student group for ‘creating division, defaming institute’

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai on Monday banned the student organisation Progressive Students’ Forum from campus, claiming that it was “defaming” the institute and “creating divisions” among students and faculty.

The “unauthorised” and “illegal” organisation was “misleading students from their academic pursuit and harmonious life in the campus”, said a notice signed by officiating registrar Anil Sutar.

The notice also alleged that the Progressive Students’ Forum was obstructing the functioning of the institute. The forum is affiliated to the Students Federation of India, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The institute prohibited members of the student organisation from conducting or participating in events on campus, warning that such steps would be met with “immediate intervention and consequences”.

It said: “Any student or faculty member found supporting, associating with, or propagating the group’s divisive ideologies will be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in our institute policies.”

The notice urged students to report to the institute any “encounters” with members of the organisation. “All reports will be handled with utmost confidentiality,” it said, adding that the “primary goal” was to ensure a “safe and collaborative” academic environment.

The forum has been active on campus for more than a decade and has participated in the elections for...

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