Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal ruled out banning campus politics while regulations are considered. The proposed framework seeks to prevent violence, protect academics and preserve open debate.Image used for representational purposes onlyThiruvananthapuram,Oct 24, 2026 18:46 ISTKerala University Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal has said there is no move to ban politics on campuses, according to news agency Press Trust of India.

He said the focus was on preventing violence and ensuring that academic activities were not disrupted.His remarks came in response to reports about a draft code of conduct to regulate student politics that was recently considered by the university syndicate. Kunnummal said universities were examining the matter in line with directions from the High Court.He said the issue had earlier come up at Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam, which prepared a document on regulating campus activities.

The High Court subsequently directed universities to examine the document and frame their own regulations.Universities were studying the matter following the court's directions and discussions at government-level meetings, Kunnummal told PTI. He said different proposals and documents could emerge during the deliberations, and the university's statutory bodies would discuss the issue before taking a decision. “One of the issues is how politics should be defined,” he said, adding that there were differences of opinion over the relationship between student organisations and political parties.Kunnummal said student organisations such as the SFI and KSU were active on campuses in Kerala and that student politics should not be viewed only as an obstacle to education. “If political activity is beneficial to students, there is no need to prevent it,” he said, stressing that campuses should remain spaces for discussions and debates on contemporary issues.The Vice-Chancellor said the main objective was to prevent violence on campuses and allow academic activities to continue without disruption.“There should be no violence on campuses, in colleges or educational institutions.

There is no disagreement on these two points. The question is what causes such incidents and what needs to be done to prevent them,” he said.Kunnummal said decisions on the proposed code would be taken after discussions in the university's statutory bodies, including the Senate, Syndicate and Academic Council, rather than by the Vice-Chancellor alone.He said the issue was complex and required deliberation, adding that the university would implement the decision reached through the appropriate institutional process.Emphasising the importance of freedom of expression, Kunnummal said campuses should allow students to express differing views and take part in debates without resorting to violence.“Your opinion should have the space to be expressed, and I should be able to listen to it.

We should never resort to violence because of our differences,” he said.He added that freedom of expression did not give anyone the right to deny others the same freedom or resort to physical confrontation.Following reports about the draft code of conduct last month, Kerala Higher Education Minister Roji M John had also clarified that there was no move against campus politics. The proposed regulations will be considered by the university's statutory bodies, with the stated aim of preventing violence and protecting academic activities while allowing debate and differing views on campuses.- Ends