Kerala university students pause protest after inquiry panel change
The university agreed to form a committee without the proctor who suspended five students. No decision has yet been made on the suspensions.
Students at the Central University of Kerala (CUK) temporarily suspended their protest after talks with the university registrar on Friday, October 9. Student representatives said the university agreed to form an inquiry committee to consider their grievances and exclude proctor Sreekumar, who took disciplinary action against the protesters.
The protest began after five students were suspended for demonstrating during a university seminar marking the 150th anniversary of the song Vande Mataram. Among their demands was the withdrawal of the suspension orders. The students said they could not regard an inquiry as fair if it included the official who issued the disciplinary action.
The meeting with the registrar did not produce a final decision on the students’ demands. Their representatives requested a meeting with the vice-chancellor on Monday, October 12, to discuss the suspensions and related issues. A delegation of five student representatives is expected to attend.
