Dr Prasad Pannian, who was suspended from his post as the Head of a Department at Kasargod Central University, should be reinstated, the Kerala High Court advises in an order issued on December 5. Dr Prasad Pannian was suspended from his post as HOD following a Facebook post he made in support of a student who was arrested from the campus. The suspension could affect the career and reputation of a person, the court says, adding that since the suspension was based on a cause, that cause needs to be examined.

“Posting on Facebook or social media has become a matter of concern for public authorities. It is a matter of formulation of an opinion of others. As pointed out by this Court in several judgments, in the absence of any social media guidelines, such a post has to be viewed to find out whether it would be detrimental to the collective interest of the University. The expression of opinion of a teacher in regard to an action cannot be considered as a criticism,” the order states.