The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, has banned the student body Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF) on its campus, accusing it of “misleading students” and “defaming the institute”. The order prohibits any student or faculty from supporting or associating with the PSF, and warns of disciplinary action in case of violations. But why did TISS ban the PSF, and how has the move gone down with the students? What is the PSF? A prominent student group that operates under the aegis of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), a Left-leaning organisation, the PSF has been active on the TISS campus since 2012. It has participated in student body elections and its members have held various positions, including vice-president. The PSF has also taken the lead in organising student gatherings and signature campaigns on various issues on the TISS campus. One prominent event led by the PSF, an annual Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture, could not be held the past two years due to the administration not giving the necessary permissions. What does the TISS order say? The order banning the PSF, issued by TISS Registrar Professor Anil Sutar, terms it an “unauthorised and illegal forum” on campus. “This group has been engaging in activities that obstruct the institute’s functions, defames the institute, demean members of the community, and create division among students and faculty. It has been observed that this group is misleading, distracting and misguiding students from their academic pursuit and harmonious life in the campus,” the order reads, adding that TISS is “committed to maintaining a peaceful and inclusive environment for all members of the community” and to “ensure campuses remain a place of positive engagement and academic growth”. What are the controversies surrounding the PSF? For nearly two years now, the PSF has been in many run-ins with the institute’s administration. In January last year, it actively participated in the screening of the BBC documentary India: The Modi Question, which ran into controversy. In March 2023, the PSF held a protest outside the institute director’s bungalow over the administration’s denial of permission for the Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture, where human rights activist Harsh Mander and then President of the JNU Students’ Union, Aishe Ghosh, were among those scheduled to address the students. The PSF has also often clashed with the administration for changes in the admission process, demanding that it be continued through institute’s own entrance test rather than the Common Undergraduate Entrance Test. Some other issues that the PSF and TISS have been at loggerheads over include inadequate hostel facilities and difficulties faced by students in payment of fees. The PSF was also one of the six student organisations that issued a joint statement in April against the administration’s circular prohibiting screenings, protests and other activities citing the Model Code of Conduct in force for the Lok Sabha elections. The same month, a PhD student affiliated with the PSF was suspended for two years over “repetitive misconduct” and “anti-national activities”. Most recently, in June, TISS’s decision to discontinue the contracts of over 100 faculty members, a decision which was later rolled back, was contested by the PSF. How have students reacted to the ban? Apart from saying that it would challenge the ban order, the PSF has largely remained tight-lipped on the issue. However, five other student organisations – the Adivasi Students' Forum, Ambedkarite Students' Association, Fraternity Movement, Muslim Students' Forum and Northeast Students' Forum – on Tuesday issued a joint statement in which they condemned TISS’s “anti-student” decision and called it “the death of students’ assertion on campus”. Students have also questioned the administration’s actions against one particular student body, alleging that this was because the PSF “has been vocal about students’ issues even as other student organisations negotiate with the administration”.
