In connection with the student strike at the KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts at Thekkumthala in Kottayam, Kerala, the inquiry commission appointed by the government collected evidence at the Kottayam collectorate on Tuesday, January 3.
The commission met and spoke to students, teachers and non-teaching staff in three stages, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express. The commission comprises Chairman K Jayakumar, former Chief Secretary and NK Jayakumar, former Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Advanced Legal Studies. A total of 26 persons, including 11 students, seven teachers, seven non-teaching staff and governing council member Vidhu Vincent, appeared before the commission and gave their statements.
Students have been protesting demanding the resignation of Shankar Mohan, Director of the institute, for alleged caste discrimination and various other charges. The students' protest also reached the International Film Festival of Kerala on December 12 with many artists and celebrities like Jeo Baby, Kamal, Pratap Joseph, Sheetal Shyam among others, joining them, the students said. However, they informed that the institute cancelled the accommodation of many students, in retaliation to the protest.
