Sixteen students suspended over SFI protest at university in Keralam on August 13

File photo of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit. Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (SSUS) has suspended 16 students in connection with the protest led by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) to press its various demands while a meeting of the Syndicate was under way on August 13, 2026.An order issued by the university authorities on Tuesday (September 1) stated that the suspension will remain till an inquiry into the incidents that occurred on August 13 is completed.A special Syndicate meeting held on August 22 had decided to take disciplinary action against the 16 students involved in the protest. It had entrusted Vice-Chancellor Ciza Thomas to initiate required follow-up action to implement its decision.Comprehensive probeThe order stated that the participation of the now suspended students was confirmed based on CCTV visuals examined by the officials concerned. The Syndicate appointed a sub-committe comprising five of its members to carry out a comprehensive probe into the incident in which a symbolic funeral of the Vice-Chancellor was allegedly staged.The protesting students had denied the allegation, claiming that they had only staged “a symbolic protest” to highlight their 18-point charter of demands that included the appointment of required faculty members and implementation of basic facilities for students across various departments.In her complaint, the Vice-Chancellor stated that she had sustained injuries during the protest and was physically obstructed for a prolonged period as the protesters allegedly prevented her and the members of the Syndicate from leaving the premises. Published - September 01, 2026 06:39 pm IST