A Student's collective from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-BHU), Varanasi — Students For Change (SFC) — has issued a statement condemning the IIT-B administration's warning to its students, telling them not to participate in anti-national, anti-social or undesirable activities. IIT-Bombay students have expressed anger over this code of conduct and many students' organisations from other institutes are coming out in support of them.

'Harassment of dissenting students'
The SFC statement condemns the rules, demands their withdrawal and an apology for taking away the fundamental rights of students. It starts with SFC condemning the labelling of students as anti-national. It reads, "Our freedom fighters did not fight for Independence after asking for permission from the British Queen. Rosa Parks did not ask permission from the government before fighting against segregation. Unfortunately the people in power are making a consistent effort to erase from people's minds, the fact that 'dissent' is something that is done without the need for permission from authority. For the past several years, we have noticed a trend of 'saffronisation' of university administrations across the country. This is part of an attempt to restrict free thought and mould the thought process of students in a particular direction, in line with that of the ruling Hindutva forces. Right-wing leaders and spiritual gurus are given a free pass to hold their programmes inside campuses at the invitation of the administration, while dissent is crushed by harassing dissenting students."