TISS must remain a space where students have the freedom to engage in social justice movements and advocate for social change without the fear of punishment,” asserts a statement issued by alumni from across the globe. They’re upset about TISS suspending PhD student Ramadas Prini Sivanandan and banning protests on campus. They think this goes against TISS’s values of democracy and free speech. 

Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, also known as Ramadas KS, and the general secretary of the Progressive Students Forum (PSF), got suspended from all TISS campuses for two years. This happened because he did things like showing the banned documentary `Ram Ke Naam` on campus, arranging events that caused arguments, and joining protests. The TISS administration put out a notice on April 18 explaining why they suspended him. They said he broke the rules by organising a lecture with speakers who caused trouble and protesting outside the director’s house at midnight with loud chants. They also said he used social media to promote the banned documentary.