Two days after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) issued a directive prohibiting faculty and students from organising or participating in demonstrations within and in front of the gates of its campuses, six of the institute’s student bodies issued a joint statement demanding the revocation of the “unconstitutional” circular. The circular has been denounced as undemocratic and dictatorial, as it bans all meetings and demonstrations on campus under the guise of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). 

The statement issued by Adivasi Students’ Forum, Ambedkarite Students’ Association, Fraternity, Muslim Students’ Forum, Northeast Students’ Forum and Progressive Students’ Forum reads: “In yet another attempt to stifle free speech and curb the participation of students of TISS in activities guaranteed under the Constitution, the TISS administration released a circular dated April 24, 2024, in which it announced a strict prohibition of numerous democratic activities and events. In a list which the Institute claims to be “only illustrative and not exhaustive”, the administration has gone on to ban not just protests and demonstrations of any kind but also organising of online activities like seminars, workshops, petitions, and solidarity meets, among others.”