In a recent judgment, the Bombay High Court has dismissed an appeal by Ramadas K S, a Dalit PhD student at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), who was suspended for his involvement in a protest deemed to tarnish the institution’s reputation. The court upheld TISS’s decision from April 2024, which suspended Ramadas for two years due to his participation in activities labeled as anti-national.
Justices A S Chandurkar and M M Sathaye, presiding over the case, stated, “The order suspending the petitioner does not suffer from any illegality or perversity. We find that this is not a fit case to interfere. There is no merit in the petition and the same is dismissed.” The student had participated in a march in New Delhi against what he termed the central government’s anti-student policies and promoted the documentary “Ram Ke Naam” during the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony.
The court found it evident that the protest was politically motivated and stated that Ramadas gave the impression that his views represented those of TISS, thereby damaging the institution’s public image. “No fault can be found with the institute’s order that Ramadas created an impression in general public that the politically-motivated protest and views were the views of the institution – TISS,” the judgment read.
The court highlighted that while Ramadas is entitled to his political beliefs, using the institute’s banner for expressing such views was objectionable. “This has brought disrepute to the institute in its view,” the court noted.
Ramadas argued in his plea that the suspension had resulted in the cessation of his scholarship, causing him significant hardship. He claimed his suspension was “unlawfully, arbitrarily, and unfairly” implemented. TISS countered this by suggesting that Ramadas had an alternative remedy and could appeal the suspension order before a committee established within the institute.
