SPPU to decide quickly on students' campus protest applications after agitation over curbs

Pune, November 5, 2026: Several student organisations had agitated against restrictions on protests at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). The university's Management Council has now decided that applications from students seeking permission to protest on campus will be considered soon.

The decision was taken at a Management Council meeting held on Wednesday (November 4). The student organisations had demanded that the circular imposing the restrictions be withdrawn, and the meeting followed that demand. The university has made it clear that it does not want to suppress students' freedom of expression and that applications for permission will be considered positively and without delay.

Earlier, on Monday (November 2), several student organisations staged a sit-in on the university campus. They were opposed to the restrictions. They alleged that the circular imposed unnecessary conditions on students' right to protest and was an attempt to curb their freedom of expression.

The protesting organisations said that protesting on the university campus is a constitutional right of students. They said it is also for students to decide which issues to raise, and when and how to protest. They also questioned the Management Council's authority to restrict student protests, and demanded that the circular be withdrawn immediately.

The issue was discussed at length at Wednesday's meeting. After the meeting, university Registrar Dr Prafulla Pawar issued a press statement announcing the decision.

According to the statement, the university will take up applications from students seeking permission to protest quickly and will take a positive approach while considering them. The university also stressed that protests must not inconvenience other students or obstruct security arrangements.

The administration has specifically directed that security arrangements be maintained across the campus, especially at the main entry gate, and that no obstruction be created for them by students.