Thiruvananthapuram: Higher Education Minister Roji M John has said the UDF government will not support a ban on student politics in Kerala’s colleges, amid controversy over a draft Code of Conduct proposed by the University of Kerala.

Reacting to the proposed restrictions, he said campuses should not be viewed as spaces meant only for academics. Students should also have the opportunity to understand politics and participate in democratic activities.

The minister pointed out that several political leaders had begun their public lives through student politics. Referring to his own experience, he said he had also held several positions as a student and had been active in campus politics.

Roji argued that students who attain the age of 18 and are legally entitled to vote should also have the right to participate in student union activities and democratic decision-making on campuses.

“The government’s stand is clear; student politics should exist on campuses,” the minister said, adding that the government would not ban political activities in colleges.

The remarks come amid objections to the draft Kerala University Students’ Code of Conduct Regulations, which reportedly proposes restrictions on several forms of political activity on the university campus and affiliated colleges.

According to members of the Kerala University Employees’ Union, the draft seeks to regulate activities including protests, dharnas, membership drives, fund collection, putting up posters and graffiti, events involving political personalities and online campaigning by student organisations.

The proposed regulations also provide for action against students involved in violent activities, including suspension of up to one year. The draft reportedly proposes fines of ₹5,000 for students, ₹10,000 for political organisations and up to ₹1 lakh for repeated violations. It also mentions withholding examination results and possible legal action in certain cases.

However, university authorities have clarified that no final decision has been taken to implement the regulations.

The minister also stressed that the document currently under discussion should not be treated as a final decision.

The instructions in the document (Kerala University Students' Code of Conduct) were those given by MG University in 2005. There were differences of opinion regarding the contents of the document during the discussion itself. The court had asked to take up the document for discussion, and it was taken up.

"None of us has approved it. Even the syndicate's sub-committee has not discussed the document," the minister added.

According to Roji, the draft was forwarded by the university’s legal team to a syndicate sub-committee for examination. The sub-committee has not yet approved the document. It will review the provisions, seek the views of student political organisations and place the suggestions before the university syndicate.

The syndicate will then examine the various aspects before taking a final decision, he said.

The minister also noted that the university syndicate includes members representing different political parties, and said the current controversy arose because a document that was still under discussion was portrayed as a final decision.

Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan too had criticised the proposed restrictions in his Facebook post, arguing that attempts to keep politics away from campuses could undermine students’ democratic rights. He said campuses had historically played an important role in shaping social and political movements in the country.