Chennai: The Directorate of Collegiate Education in Tamil Nadu has directed principals of all government arts and science colleges across the state to take coordinated action to prevent students and youth from participating in protests and agitations. The directive, issued under an official communication dated August 17 by Joint Director Cynthia Selvi P, cites an earlier government letter from August 14 and calls for strict inter-departmental collaboration to maintain order on campuses.
Marked as “very urgent,” the directive establishes an operational framework linking government colleges with the Higher Education Department, School Education Department, district administration, and police authorities. Rather than acting as a standard advisory, the communication instructs college heads to actively enforce preventive measures and immediately report details of all actions taken to administrative officials.
The measure coincides with demonstrations emerging under the nationwide “school thik karo” campaign, which began on August 15 and has seen youth and students organising demonstrations over diverse educational grievances. While the order does not explicitly enact a blanket statutory prohibition on democratic assembly, it mandates structured monitoring to discourage students, including female students and young activists, from joining specific protests highlighted in the initial administrative correspondence.
The heightened coordination between educational institutions and law enforcement has drawn attention to broader political dynamics within the state. With student unrest growing across several sectors, administrative curbs on peaceful assembly could spark debate regarding campus freedoms and create friction within the ruling political alliance, where national leaders have consistently advocated for the right of students to voice grievances democratically.
