Kerala VC Issues Circular: No Admission For Students Accused in Criminal Cases

The Kerala Vice-Chancellor has issued a controversial directive denying admission to students accused in criminal cases. 

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Vice-Chancellor has sparked debate with a controversial new directive-no admission will be granted to students accused in criminal cases. VC Mohan Kunnummal has issued a circular to all colleges, laying out strict conditions for applicants.

New Rules for Admission

According to the circular, any student seeking admission must submit an affidavit confirming that they are not involved in any criminal cases. The affidavit comes with four questions:

Have you been debarred from any college?

Are you an accused in a criminal case?

Have you been convicted in a case related to violence against women or any other criminal offence?

Have you been involved in exam malpractice?

If a student provides false information and later becomes an accused, disciplinary action can be initiated. The circular also states that college councils will have the authority to decide on the appropriate action in such cases.

Student Protests Against the Decision

The move has faced strong backlash, particularly from the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). State Secretary P. S. Sanjeev criticized the new rules, calling them an attempt to erase history. In a Facebook post, the SFI remarked that the public would reject such "history-denying" circulars.

Sanjeev warned that there would be strong protests against the Vice-Chancellor's decision, setting the stage for a growing conflict between the university administration and student organizations.