Censorship – Academia

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), a premier grant-in-aid institute under the Ministry of Education, held its 84th convocation on Friday, but the event was overshadowed by student protests. Four students staged a peaceful demonstration during the ceremony, demanding the revocation of a two-year suspension on a PhD student, Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, citing “repetitive misconduct and anti-national activities,” and justice for mass termination of teachers and staff who were later reappointed on a temporary basis following strike.

The protest during the convocation took a dramatic turn when Arghya Das, a graduating student of MA in Women’s Studies, raised a placard during the ceremony seeking revocation of Ramadas’s suspension. Das was forcibly removed from the stage by security guards and police officers. According to students, his degree certificate was confiscated, and he was kept away from the convocation hall until the ceremony concluded. As of now, Das has yet to receive his certificate from the institute.