Wed Mar 12 17:22:59 UTC 2025: ## Bombay High Court Upholds TISS Suspension of Dalit PhD Scholar

**Mumbai, March 12, 2025** – The Bombay High Court today dismissed a petition filed by Ramadas K.S., a Dalit PhD scholar, challenging his two-year suspension from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The court ruled that the institute’s action, based on allegations of repeated misconduct and anti-national activities, was not arbitrary or illegal.

Ramadas, who received a national fellowship for Scheduled Caste students, was suspended following his participation in a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and for organizing a screening of a documentary about the Ayodhya dispute. TISS argued that his actions violated institute rules and were politically motivated, particularly considering his receipt of government scholarships intended for academic pursuits.

The court’s detailed order stated that the suspension was proportionate and based on available evidence. The judges found no grounds to interfere with the institute’s decision.

Ramadas’s legal team argued that the protest at Jantar Mantar was peaceful and permitted by authorities, and that the documentary screening was not illegal. They also questioned the composition of the TISS committee that issued the suspension.

However, TISS maintained that Ramadas’s actions, including using the institute’s name in politically charged demonstrations while receiving government funding, constituted a breach of its code of conduct.

The suspension remains in effect, ending Ramadas’s PhD program at TISS for the time being.

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