Student organisations at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Hyderabad, have issued a joint statement condemning the campus conduct guidelines recently released by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA).
The Ambedkarite Students’ Association (ASA) and Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF), allege that the new rules violate the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) Student Entitlement Code and severely restrict students’ rights to political engagement and dissent.
According to the groups, the guidelines formalise restrictions first imposed in January 2024, when a circular suspended all student activities and unions across TISS campuses, as reported by Careers 360.
Instead of rolling back these measures, the student bodies claim, the administration has now “institutionalised repression and surveillance”.
“The campus code of conduct, instead of lifting the arbitrary ban on student activities, merely institutionalises the ongoing repression and surveillance of student voices,” the statement says
Event approval process under fire
A key point of contention is the multi-tiered approval process for events, which requires clearance from Chairpersons, Faculty Coordinators, and the OSA.
The statement argues that this centralised system is designed to suppress independent collectives, particularly those with political views. ASA and PSF point to a clause allowing the OSA to block events “not in the interest of the community,” warning that such vague wording could be used to ban confrontational or political discussions.
The groups also criticised the lack of transparency and accountability, saying these powers give the administration unchecked control over campus activities.
Restrictions on posters, pamphlets, and messaging by unrecognised groups were also flagged as attempts to undermine independent organising, and turn campus public life into an “administration-approved” space.
Social media policy branded ‘overreach’
The guidelines also introduce a social media policy that student organisations say extends to both public and private platforms. It prohibits “defamatory content” and “misuse of the university’s name” without defining these terms, the student associations noted.
The policy further requires that complaints be raised only through official grievance mechanisms, not on social media.
“By stating that ‘complaints must be raised through official grievance mechanisms, not on social media,’ the administration is reinforcing a system where students have no genuine independent avenue to express their grievances but only a process controlled by the very administration they are seeking to hold accountable,” the official statement added.
Compared to withdrawn ‘honour code’
In 2024, TISS withdrew an “honour code” clause that explicitly barred political or anti-establishment discussions.
The timing of the release, just as the new academic batch arrives, was also questioned. The groups claim it stigmatises student organisations, and discourages newcomers from participating in campus activism.
The statement ends with a call for collective resistance within the TISS community to oppose the guidelines and defend the democratic rights of students.