A dishonourable ‘honour code’

The revised ‘honour code’ that the students of Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) are being made to sign is retrograde and against the spirit that should pervade educational and research institutions. The code is an undertaking by students that they “would not indulge in any political, anti-establishment, unpatriotic discussions, demonstrations, dharna or any form of activities that disturb the academic environment of the institute.” They also have to state that they are aware of the “strict action” that violations of the code would attract.

It is surprising that an institution of TISS’ standing would demand such an undertaking from students. There were controversies in the institute over some issues, and the new code seems to have evolved from them. The authorities took action against a student leader on various grounds, including the reported screening of a BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots in the campus. A students’ organisation, Progressive Students’ Forum, was banned on the claim that it was “unauthorised” and “illegal”, though it had functioned in the campus for many years. 

The new code penalises critical thinking and independent views, which should actually be encouraged in educational institutions. It does not want political and “unpatriotic” discussions and protests, demonstrations and dharnas in the campus. Societies have moved forward only when established views, dogmas and practices were challenged and students have always been in the vanguard of movements for change, individually and collectively. Educational institutions, including universities, should have an environment that encourages such questioning. This is especially true in a diverse democracy like India. Universities should reflect such diversities and consider them as a strong point, instead of penalising them. Words like “anti-establishment” and “unpatriotic” open up students to harsh action for anything that is not liked by the authorities. Given that the institute’s governing board is packed with government representatives, these words in the TISS code is a dead giveaway as to what kind of atmosphere they want to create on its campus. 

TISS has been a premier social science research institute. Fruitful research cannot happen without open discussions and interactions between students, between students and teachers, and between them and society. A code such as the one introduced in TISS would only restrict those interactions. The need for discipline cannot be stretched to the extent that it kills discussion and creativity and induces fear in students. The code being sought to be enforced in TISS also violates the fundamental rights of students as citizens. This should not be happening in an institution founded by and bearing the name of Tata.