‘BJP govt destroying rights’; restore TISS students' union: SFI

Criticising the Tata Institute of Social Sciences - TISS administration’s “continuous” attacks on students’ rights and blaming the RSS-led BJP government for destroying campus democracy, the SFI has condemned the administration’s move to dilute the TISS Students’ Union.

The Students’ Federation of India - SFI said that the decision to change the TISS Students’ Union into council by the TISS administration has led to a mockery of student representation with complete control being held by the college authority.

The students’ body stated that the TISS administration, by introducing a new process of student representation through the Students’ council, has taken overall control of the campus democracy.

“Elections will be held in each class of every programme to elect a Class Representative, who will come together to form the Students' Council. However, there is no provision of any coordination body with the Council,” the SFI said in an official statement.

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'No account of students' funds for events'

Moreover, as per the new regulations, the TISS administration will nominate elected members to different committees such as finance, cultural, literary, sports, among others. The college authority will have complete right to further add non-elected members to the committees.

The students’ body also claimed that there is no mention of year-round planning for events or of how students can access the fund they contribute to as part of their fees.

Blaming the RSS-backed BJP government behind the curtailing of students’ rights at TISS, the SFI said: “TISS is a respected institute which has long valued and pioneered social science research and education. However, now it is being used by the RSS-backed BJP government as a laboratory to restrict student rights and attack the academic environment at the institute.”

The students’ body has “strongly” condemned the move of administrative control of Students’ Council and demanded that the TISS Students’ Union must be reinstated “immediately with fair student representation, transparency and accountability.