Dharnas, hunger strikes have no place in constitutional democracy: Kerala HC

The Kerala High Court has stressed that educational institutions must remain free from political agitation, ruling that students who take part in protests such as sit-ins and hunger strikes could face disciplinary action, including expulsion or rustication.

The observation came as a division bench overturned an earlier order allowing 16 suspended students of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Ernakulam district to sit for their semester examinations. The students, affiliated with the CPI(M)'s student wing, had been suspended following protests demanding better infrastructure and academic facilities. They had also staged a street play that allegedly insulted Vice Chancellor Ciza Thomas in August.

The students approached a single-judge bench after their suspension affected their attendance eligibility. The bench had permitted them to take the examinations, subject to the final outcome of their petition. However, the university challenged the decision on October 30. On Tuesday, the division bench ruled that the students had failed to establish their eligibility and said allowing them to write the examinations would compromise the institution's academic and disciplinary standards.

In a separate case, the Madhya Pradesh High Court quashed an FIR against a student accused of violating restrictions on unlawful gatherings during a protest. The demonstration was held against a case registered in June 2024 against members of the Adivasi community.

The court said criminal proceedings should not unnecessarily jeopardise the student's future, noting that he had secured distinction in four of his five Class 12 subjects.