Table of Contents
There’s no ban on student politics at Kerala University, Roji M John said, “No decision yet.”
Amid reports of a ban on student politics at Kerala University, Higher Education Minister Roji M John has clarified the situation. He said that no decision has been taken to stop student politics in the university. According to him, the government’s stance is to encourage student politics.
The minister’s statement comes after a controversy erupted when a draft of the proposed Code of Conduct for students at the university came under discussion. In this draft, some rules and restrictions related to political activities on the campus were proposed. However, the minister clarified that this is not the final rule yet.
Roji M John said the draft is currently at the discussion stage and has been placed before a subcommittee of the university’s syndicate for consideration. It will be finalised only after taking suggestions from student organisations and making necessary changes.
The minister said there was no action to end student politics.
Roji M John said the government believes campuses should not be solely a place for studying and earning degrees. According to him, students should get the opportunity to understand politics, participate in the democratic process and participate in the election of student representatives.
He also said that at the age of 18, a student gets the right to vote in the democratic process of the country. In such a situation, the government does not have a policy to completely stop its participation in political and democratic activities even at the campus level.
The minister also mentioned his experience related to student politics. He said that many current political leaders have come into active politics through student organisations. Therefore, according to him, political discussion has its own role in the campus.
The controversial draft is not yet a final rule.
According to the minister, the document that sparked the controversy is a preliminary draft prepared by the legal department. It was sent for discussion in the subcommittee of the Syndicate. Right now this cannot be considered as the final rule or official decision of the university.
The opinion of student organisations is also to be taken further regarding the draft. After discussing their suggestions and objections, the subcommittee will place the revised proposal before the syndicate.
Only after this the final decision will be taken at the university level. Therefore, at present it would not be right to consider the provisions present in the draft as applicable rules.
The draft includes several proposals regarding political activities.
Reports of the controversial draft mentioned provisions related to controlling sloganeering, postering, sit-ins, unauthorized gatherings, and certain political activities on campus. Some reports also mention disciplinary action for breaking the rules.
Questions were raised by student organisations and opposition leaders regarding these proposed provisions. He says such rules could impact student political participation on campus.
At the same time, the government says that the purpose of the draft is not to ban student politics. According to the minister, the document is yet to go through a process of discussion, amendments and suggestions.
Pinarayi Vijayan objected to the report.
Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan also reacted to the controversy. He criticized the news related to the draft, saying that it shows the fear of a generation that raises its voice and asks questions.
In his social media post, Vijayan raised the issue of students’ democratic rights and political participation on campus. According to him, at the age of 18, when a person has the right to vote to elect the government, the question of restricting the right to hold political views and participate in democratic activities on campus is also important.
After this statement, the political debate in the state regarding student politics intensified. However, it was repeatedly clarified by the government and the university that the document that has surfaced is not the final decision yet.
The draft was prepared following a High Court directive.
The minister explained that the draft rules regarding student politics were not prepared suddenly. Following petitions filed in the Kerala High Court and its directions, the process of universities formulating clear guidelines regarding student conduct was initiated.
According to reports, the MG University Code of Conduct of 2005 was also considered as a reference in this process. The Syndicate subcommittee of Kerala University is now reviewing the draft on this basis.
The minister said that changes can be made in the proposed rules and the opinion of student organisations will also be taken. Only after this will the process of finalizing the document proceed further.
A final decision on student politics at Kerala University is still pending.
At present, no final decision has been made on banning student politics at Kerala University. The Higher Education Minister has clarified the government’s position, saying that student politics should find a place on campus and the current document should not be seen as a final decision.
On the other hand, the provisions of the draft are likely to be further discussed following objections from the opposition and student organisations. After taking suggestions from student organizations, the subcommittee can make necessary changes in it.
Now the final decision will come after the syndicate process of the university. Therefore, at present the focus of the controversy is not on the ban on student politics.
