Memo issued to 15 more students at Sanskrit varsity

Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (SSUS), Kalady, on Thursday issued show-cause notices to 15 more students, asking why action should not be taken against them for protesting the disciplinary rules imposed on the campus and in hostels.

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) had launched a protest against an order issued by the university to enforce discipline on the campus and in hostels. The student activists had staged a demonstration at the main gate, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the restrictions imposed in classrooms and hostels.

The authorities had issued show-cause notices to 22 students on Wednesday (July 2, 2025) for protesting against the reforms. As of Thursday (July 3, 2025), a total of 37 protesting students had received the notice.

Notices were served to 15 students on Thursday for objecting to the closure of the women’s hostel after the time limit prescribed by the authorities. They had reportedly prevented security personnel from performing their duties. All those who had received the notice should submit their explanation within a week, said a communication.  

As per the new rules, students will not be permitted to remain in classrooms after 5 p.m. The entry to hostels will not be allowed after 9.30 p.m. The absence from hostels after the deadline will be intimated to the parents.

The disciplinary rules were proposed by a sub-committee of the Syndicate led by K.S. Arunkumar, member of the Ernakulam district secretariat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The authorities stated that there will be no roll back of the decision to restrict the entry of outsiders into the campus and hostels.

The Excise and Police departments had informed the authorities in March that stringent measures should be taken to prevent the campus from turning into a hub for the sale and distribution of drugs. The rules were framed after evidence was collected regarding the stay of outsiders in hostels and their presence even during night hours, the authorities said.