SSUS Syndicate Sets Conditional Release for 12 Suspended Students

Syndicate of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit has agreed to conditionally lift the suspension of 12 of the 16 students arrested during the SFI‑led protest on August 13.## What Happened The university’s Syndicate met on Monday, November 2, and accepted a five‑member committee report that linked the students to a mock funeral staged for Vice‑Chancellor Ciza Thomas. CCTV footage was cited as proof of participation. Four students, including student‑union chairperson Archana P.S., will remain suspended for another two months on grounds that they continued SFI organisational work during the penalty period.## Reaction SFI state secretary P.S. Sanjeev said the suspended students will not give an unconditional apology and will keep an indefinite protest until the suspension is fully withdrawn. The university released a statement denying that the protest used damaged theatre lights, noting the lights were broken in the 2018 floods and no complaints were recorded after that.## What’s Next A CPI(M)‑led Sanskrit University Janakeeya Samrakshana Samithi organised a march to the main campus demanding that the authorities allow the suspended students to sit for exams, citing a Kerala High Court directive. Police stopped the march at the campus entrance, but activists, the students and their parents were present.## Context Student protests in Indian universities often trigger disciplinary action, but courts sometimes intervene to protect examination rights, creating a balance between campus order and students’ academic concerns.