Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday made it clear that the principal is the ultimate authority to ensure discipline on the college campus and that the university has no right to prevent or restrict the exercise of the power.
A single bench made this observation while upholding the expulsion of Shiyas Ismail, second-year BCom student and union chairman of St Joseph College, Moolamattom, as part of disciplinary action.
There were complaints against Shiyas for threatening the principal, attacking other students and staging a music programme in the college auditorium without prior permission.
It was alleged that Shiyas conducted a DJ party in violation of the higher education department order that DJ parties should not be conducted in colleges.
He was expelled from the college on March 29 following a decision of the staff council of the college.
However, Shiyas approached the Students Complaints Redressal Board of the MG University against this. The syndicate annulled the order of the principal to expel him based on the report of the redressal board. The principal was directed to allow him to appear for the exam.
The single bench, which considered the writ petition filed by the principal, also pointed out that in several previous orders also it had said that the authority to enforce discipline on the campus is the principal.
