Ramdas K. has received a two-year suspension from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TIS) due to repeated misconduct and holding an anti-national stance. The High Court declined to expedite the petition of this Dalit student. TIS requested the court to reject Ramdas's petition, arguing that he must first appeal to the institution's vice-chancellor before approaching the High Court.
Upon suspending Ramdas, a PH.D student, for two years, the institute barred him from all TIS premises nationwide. Ramdas contested this decision in the High Court. However, Justices Arif Doctor and Somasekhar Sundaresan of the vacation bench clarified that an urgent hearing for his plea was unnecessary. The petition hearing took place on June 18.
Ramdas's lawyer, Mihir Desai, informed the court that the suspension had halted his scholarship and caused various hardships. Despite his request for a prompt hearing, the organization opposed his petition, asserting its inadmissibility. The Court determined that an urgent hearing for Ramdas's plea was unwarranted and emphasized the necessity to first establish its admissibility before proceeding.
In response to escalating instances of student misconduct, the institute disclosed the formation of a high-level committee comprised of senior officials to address disciplinary issues. According to an affidavit, the sole recourse against the Committee's decisions is to appeal to the Vice-Chancellor. The institute contended in the affidavit that approaching the High Court directly, without prior recourse to the Vice-Chancellor, is impermissible.
The petition filed by Ramdas was urged for dismissal. Following Ramdas's suspension on April 18, the institution received objections from political groups and entities. A social media initiative was also launched against the institute. TIS claimed in the affidavit that Ramdas leveraged his influence and political connections to exert undue pressure on the organization for his illicit demands.
Upon students' admission to TIS, their responsibilities and guidelines are clearly communicated, along with potential disciplinary measures in case of violations. Therefore, the institute anticipates that its perspective may not be considered. Ramdas stated that he lacks affiliation with any political party.
