Presidency University students launch protest against code of conduct draft

The draft code of conduct, circulated last week, said organising meetings and processions without prior information and proper approval from the authorities concerned of the institute will be not allowed.

Students of Presidency University, who are affiliated with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), have launched a week-long protest against a draft code of conduct, which proposes that processions can be taken out on the campus only with the prior consent of the institute's authorities.  

SFI, the CPI-M's students' wing which controls the Students' Council of the University, termed some of the recommendations in the draft as an "authoritarian step" and asked all "students who believe in democratic and liberal values" to assemble at the portico of the institute's campus at College Street this week, The Telegraph reported. 

"Presidency is a citadel of free thinking and liberal views. It has always supported progressive school of of thoughts. We will not tolerate any blueprint to murder democracy on the university campus, or any code of conduct for surveillance in the name of discipline," SFI Presidency unit spokesperson Anandarupta Dhar said.  

She said the students' assembly will chalk out a bigger movement by this month without disrupting academic activities. The draft code of conduct, circulated last week, said organising meetings and processions without prior information and proper approval from the authorities concerned of the institute will be not allowed. The students are also strictly prohibited from furnishing audio and video clippings of any activity within the campus to the media without obtaining prior approval from authorities concerned, it said. 

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