THE HINDU

Kochi
21October, 2015
No students vehicles on campus in Kerala: HC
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The High Court of Kerala has restricted students from taking their vehicles to college
campuses.
In his judgment, Justice V. Chitambaresh observed that the college and the hostel
campuses were not the places for the students to show off their material possessions,
which could cause distraction to others. The college authorities should be allowed to
slap fine or confiscate the vehicles that violated the restriction.
The court suggested that the entry of vehicles shall be restricted by setting up a pole
barrier near the parking area. It shall be regulated by a security guard appointed by the
college. Only the vehicles of the teaching and non-teaching staff shall be permitted to go
beyond the pole barrier for access to places near their departments, the court held.
The order was issued on a batch of petitions filed by 25 students of the College of
Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, who were suspended from the college for alleged
misdemeanour in connection with the Onam celebrations at the college.
The suspended students contended that they were roped in into the issue due to interunion rivalries and they were mere onlookers to the events.
Following the events, the State government had framed guidelines restricting the
celebrations and ordered that vehicles of students shall not be brought beyond the
designated parking areas.
Upholding the guidelines issued by the State government, the court held that it could be
effectively implemented only when an area close to the compound of the campus
immediately after the entry gate was earmarked as parking lots. The court held that the
circular issued by the State should not remain on paper and was meant to be strictly
enforced by all the colleges.
The students are often let free after 9 p.m. without any supervision and the efforts of the
State government to regulate their activities was laudable, it said.
Declining to interfere with the petition of the students, the court held that disciplinary
actions should be best left to the college administration.
College authorities should be allowed to slap fine or confiscate the vehicles