CNN Central News & Networks / ITDC India ePress / ITDC News /Agencies/ Bhopal: CNN Central News and Networks / ITDC India ePress / ITDC News / Agencies, Bhopal: The Kerala High Court has made strong observations on political activities such as sit-ins, hunger strikes and satyagraha in educational institutions. The court said educational institutions are meant for imparting education, not for doing politics. Students who take part in political activities in such institutions can be expelled or suspended from the institution. The court made the observation on 3 November while hearing a matter related to 16 suspended students of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady.
A division bench of Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S allowed the university’s appeal and set aside the interim order of a single bench, which had permitted the suspended students to appear in semester examinations beginning on 4 November. The court said students must meet the university’s prescribed rules, attendance requirements and other academic qualifications to sit for examinations.
What is the full case? The dispute is linked to a protest held on the university campus on 13 August 2026. The university administration has alleged that the protesting students conducted a symbolic funeral of Vice-Chancellor Ciza Thomas and later misbehaved with her. The students denied the allegations, saying their protest was part of a street play organised to highlight problems in the university’s theatre department. After this, 16 students were suspended on 1 September and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against them.
In its decision, the court also referred to an earlier 2017 ruling, which had said that students taking part in activities such as sit-ins and hunger strikes in educational institutions may face expulsion. However, the division bench clarified that the observations made in this appeal do not amount to a final decision on the main petition. The case related to disciplinary action against the students is still pending.
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