Pondicherry University came under flak for restricting students who had protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) earlier this year from being eligible for the institution’s scholarships for postgraduate students.
The order, dated May 22, 2020, which has now been taken off the university’s website, stated that the Heads of the departments shall recommend students for the postgraduate scholarship award from the institution. “The Heads of the Departments may kindly arrange to send their claim of the candidates listed in the annexure to the Finance Section for claiming the scholarship, subject to the condition that they have more than 70% attendance and they have not participated in the protest during this semester,” read the now-withdrawn order.
The withdrawn order
The order drew flak on social media, with an overwhelming majority questioning the university about the logic behind the decision.
In Pondicherry University, authorities say there is no scholarship for protesting students. https://t.co/G1b4MWXBlh
— Aslah Kayyalakkath (@aslahtweets) May 26, 2020
Pondicherry University makes non-participation in protests mandatory for availing PG scholarships. Another attempt to curb dissent in uty spaces from marginalised communities who rely much on scholarships. https://t.co/4qH4LpiIxh
— Aysha Renna (@AyshaRenna) May 27, 2020
There is a limit to what extent an University can harass it's students! Pondicherry university administration doesn't seem to stop! This is again a sick move made by the administration! https://t.co/OYr1delHf4
— Mayukh Sarkar (@MaYuKHsArkAr3) May 26, 2020
How can you link scholarships to protests? This goes against our Fundamental Rights. Pondicherry University Admin is working to dilute the Constitution of this country. Nothing less.@PondiUniVC , @thenewsminute , @bbctamil , @NationalDastak , @WriterRavikumar pic.twitter.com/RiYkD8P0YC
— Ashok S (@ashok_s89) May 27, 2020
Speaking to TNM, Parichay Yadav, the President of the Pondicherry University Students Council, said that this is not the first time the administration has tried to clamp down on dissent inside the campus.
“They introduce a circular and try to impose a rule but then when students oppose it, they take it back. Students these days are very politically conscious and we can spot it when the administration is trying to silence the voices of dissent,” he explained.
Adding that these scholarships are merit-based and not based on attendance, Parichay said, “Since the protests (against the CAA and the fee hike in the university) the administration has started getting daily attendance records from the departments so that it knows who all have participated in the protests. Earlier, scholarship awards were not based on attendance at all. It was a decentralised process in which departments could take a call.”
Multiple attempts by TNM to contact Gurmeet Singh, the Vice-Chancellor of the university did not succeed. The copy will be updated once he responds.