Rajiv Gandhi National Institute in Chennai was recently in the national limelight following its expulsion of three postgraduate students reportedly accused of drawing graffiti on college walls with the slogans “Jai Bhim” and “Free Palestine”. The act, which was announced on May 22, 2025, has raised extensive debate on the freedom of expression of students as well as institutional boundaries on political communication within learning institutions.
The administration made the decision after an internal disciplinary committee submitted a report, according to official sources at the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute (RGNI). The three students were accused by the committee of having “willfully defaced campus property” and having also broken the code of conduct by indulging in “unauthorized political messaging.” The walls of the Department of Social Justice building were discovered painted with the slogans earlier this week, leading to swift administrative action.
Expulsion orders handed out immediately, students told
The three students — two Master’s in Political Science and one from the Sociology department — were handed their expulsion orders in the late evening hours of Wednesday. Officials at RGNI stated the decision was taken to “maintain institutional decorum” and “keep the campus area from further politicization.”.
Addressing the media, the registrar of RGNI said, “Although we hold every student in a higher regard and a higher respect, our campus cannot serve as a canvas for free political graffiti. The concerned students were asked to respond but did not provide a satisfactory explanation.
The vandalism, students who saw it happen claim, showed up late one night on May 20. “Jai Bhim” is a slogan used by the followers of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Dalit activists, while “Free Palestine” has been used worldwide as an expression of unity with Palestinians in the face of the continuing war in Gaza.
Protests erupt on campus and across student communities
Subsequent to the expulsion, a number of student groups, such as the Ambedkar Students’ Collective and the RGNI Human Rights Forum, organized protests at the university calling for the immediate readmission of the expelled students. Protest leaders described the administration’s reaction as “disproportionate and politically motivated.”
A protesting student commented, “Rajiv Gandhi National Institute proclaims to promote critical thought, but when students join hands with causes around the world or society at large, they are punished. That’s outright censorship.”
The incident also led to solidarity statements from student unions at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), and Hyderabad Central University (HCU), all condemning the expulsion and calling it a threat to democratic spaces within academic institutions.
Rajiv Gandhi National Institute: Is the expulsion a justified enforcement of discipline or suppression of dissent?
This is the core of the increasing controversy. The advocates of the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute’s move believe that permitting political graffiti — message notwithstanding — is a negative precedent to set and may become an excuse for runaway ideological propaganda on campuses. They insist that the disciplinary code has been broken, and the students should be held accountable.
Meanwhile, free speech groups and civil liberties organizations feel that schools should be places of safety for democratic debate and that slogans such as “Jai Bhim” and “Free Palestine” are social-political slogans, not acts of vandalism.
Legal analysts indicate that institutions are entitled to impose codes of conduct, but the sanction must be reasonable and based on clear, pre-communicated policies. In this instance, concerns are being raised regarding whether warnings were given in advance and whether less severe disciplinary alternatives such as warnings or community service were weighed before expulsion.
Political parties get into the act
The controversy has rapidly turned into a political hot potato. Tamil Nadu-based political party Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and national leaders from the Congress and Left parties accused the move of Rajiv Gandhi National Institute as “an attack on Ambedkarite students” and “part of an increasing crackdown on student activism.”
On the other hand, right-wing student organizations associated with the ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) endorsed the institute’s action, saying that the slogans were “inflammatory” and that the “Free Palestine” graffiti had the potential to be seen taking sides in international issues based on no academic value.
Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Ponmudy has requested a report from the institute but declined to intervene directly in what he called an “administrative matter under internal review.”
Calls for review and mediation
Against the growing pressure, the administration of the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute is now on the verge of considering a review petition filed by the expelled students with legal representation. The petition contends that there was no hearing done previously to any reasonable extent, and the students were not provided an opportunity for alternative disciplinary channels.
Interior sources from the RGNI administration have indicated that the ruling could be revoked if the students make an apology and undertake community service or a restorative justice program. The students, however, have been reported as refusing to apologize and maintaining their right to political expression.
At the same time, teachers at RGNI are also polarized, with some strongly criticizing the administration’s response to the issue and others demanding impartiality and harmony within the campus.
Broader implications for campus democracy
The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute incident occurs just as student politics in India is experiencing new vigor, especially around international solidarity movements and national social justice causes. The incident serves to underscore the tension between institutionalized discipline and freedom of mind that teaching is supposed to promote.
Observers warn that increasing restrictions on political expression within educational campuses could push student activism into confrontational territory and erode democratic values in Indian higher education.
As the row continues to unfold, national attention remains fixed on RGNI’s next steps. Whether the institute upholds the expulsions or engages in reconciliation may set a precedent for how other academic institutions handle similar challenges in the future.
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