Savitribai Phule Pune University has banned protests, demonstrations, meetings and marches on its campus over national or broader issues not directly related to the university, prompting student organisations to demand that the decision be withdrawn immediately.
The restriction was approved by the university’s Management Council and follows what the resolution describes as repeated marches and demonstrations by organisations including the Cockroach Janata Party and Samyak Vidyarthi Andolan. According to the resolution, these events concerned national-level questions and issues that were not directly connected to SPPU.
The university said sudden protests could disrupt the peaceful academic environment, cause damage to university property and increase pressure on campus security. The decision therefore prohibits gatherings on the premises when their subject is unrelated to the institution.
The resolution was moved by Bageshree Manthalkar and seconded by Dr Devidas Vaydande at a Management Council meeting. The report does not specify a separate approval process, designated alternative protest areas or how the university will determine whether a particular issue is sufficiently connected to SPPU.
The University Students’ Struggle Action Committee has opposed the decision, alleging that it curtails students’ constitutional rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Abhishek Shelkar, president of the committee, said students had a fundamental right to express their views and assemble peacefully under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of the Constitution.
“On one hand, the state government has constituted a committee for student elections, while on the other, Pune University is suppressing students’ democracy,” Shelkar said, according to the report. The committee has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the circular and appealed to progressive student organisations to unite against the move.
Student representatives also objected to restrictions affecting gatherings near the statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Shelkar described the limitation on such gatherings as deeply objectionable. The committee further questioned whether the restrictions would be applied equally to organisations affiliated with the ruling political establishment.
The dispute places the university’s management of campus space and security alongside student groups’ claims over assembly and expression. The resolution’s stated concerns focus on disruption, property protection and security deployment, while the student committee’s objections focus on democratic participation and constitutional rights.
SPPU’s response to the student organisations’ objections and whether it intends to reconsider the resolution were not immediately available. The university’s next communication will determine how the restriction will be implemented and whether it includes procedures for permitting events related to university affairs.
