GENERAL GUIDELINES

The following guidelines are issued in order to help the students to conduct themselves courteously and in accordance with the highest standards of mannerly behaviour.

1. Every morning, we begin our work with a prayer song. Wherever you are in the campus, whether in the class or outside, come to attention when the song begins and keep standing till it ends. Classes will be held from 09.30 a.m. to 12.30 pm and 13.20 p.m. to 15.15 p.m. The time – from 08.30 a.m. to 09.30 a.m. and 15.15 p.m. to 16.15 p.m. will be tutorial time.
2. Every student shall behave and conduct himself in the college and the hostel in a dignified and courteous manner and should be respectful to the teachers.
3. Consumption of narcotic drugs, tobacco, alcohol etc. is strictly prohibited in the campus and the hostel and action will be initiated against those who are found to have consumed them.
4. Students are prohibited from indulging in anti-institutional, anti-national, ant-social, communal, immoral or political expressions and activities within campus and hostel.
5. Learning not to damage property whether public or private is one of the primary requirements for civilized behaviour. Students shall not disfigure/damage or destroy public or college properties. In the event of such damage or destruction the cost of such properties will be recovered from the student(s) concerned. Disciplinary action will also be taken against the delinquents.
6. Silence shall be maintained in the college library and the premises of the office.
7. Unauthorised entry of outsiders into the campus as well as the hostel is strictly prohibited. Without specific permission of the authorities, students shall not bring outsiders to the college or the hostel.
8. No one shall bring, distribute or circulate any notice, pamphlet, leaflet etc within the campus or the hostel. The possession, distribution or exhibition of any object which is per se obscene within the campus or the hostel is also actionable offence.
9. Politically based student organizations or outfits are not allowed in the campus. Students are strictly prohibited from organizing, attending or participating in any activity or agitation sponsored by the politically based student organizations.
10. Nobody shall exhibit any type of banners, flags, boards etc. inside the campus, gates, walls and on the compound walls. Similarly, students are prohibited from disfiguring the walls of the college building. Except with the specific permission the principal, no student shall collect money either by request or by coercion from others within the campus or the hostel.
11. The college being a temple of learning and an exclusive academic zone, nobody shall respond to any call for any form of strike or agitation including slogan shouting, dharna, gherao, burning of effigy or indulge in anything which may harm the peaceful and serene atmosphere of the institution and shall eschew from violence within the campus and hostel.
12. Any student who is found to exert undue influence on fellow students will be strictly dealt with.
13. No student will enter or leave the classroom when the session is on without the permission of the teacher.
14. Students absenting themselves without submitting proper leave application for more than ten working days will have their names removed from the rolls. They may be readmitted only at the discretion of the principal.
15. The use of mobile phones within the campus is restricted. Violation of the norm, according to its gravity, may lead to seizure of the same with or without fine. Misuse of IT including Wifi and e-mails is also strictly prohibited.
16. There is a Students’ Grievance Redressal Cell (CSGRC) in the college. In case the students have any grievance or complaint they may approach the head of the department first and if not satisfied, the principal. The principal will at his discretion refer the matter to the Collegiate Students’ Grievance Redressal Cell.
17. Students who are charged in criminal offence or are under suspension will not be allowed to enter the college campus without the permission of the Principal.
18. The Principal shall have power to declare holiday for the college if he is satisfied that peaceful academic functioning of the college cannot be carried on.
19. Any Case of criminal activity or violation of law and order in the college campus will be reported to the police and the police shall register case and initiate action against the offenders.
20. The terms and conditions of admission and the code of conduct are included in the college calendar issued to the students and are binding on the student. In the application form for admission an undertaking shall be given by the student and the parent accordingly.
21. In the matter of internal discipline the decision of the Principal shall be final.
22. Students Should not throw litter in the campus; rather place them only in the waste bins. This campus is yours and you are duty bound to keep it clean.
23. All UG and PG students are required to wear their prescribed uniforms on all working days except Wednesdays. Students are expected to be properly dressed. Low waist jeans, colour dhothis, collarless T-shirts, indecent stitching and showy clothes and caps are strictly prohibited. Women students are expected to show lady-like dignity in their dress and general behaviour.
24. Students are not permitted to bring their vehicles into the campus. The staff can park their vehicles at the allotted space in the campus.
25. Any student who is persistently insubordinate, who is repeatedly or wilfully mischievous, who is guilty of fraud or mal-practice in connection with examinations or who, in the opinion of the principal, is likely to have an unwholesome influence on his fellow students, shall be removed from the rolls. The removal shall be either temporary or permanent according to the gravity of the offence.
26. Rise from your seats when the teacher enters the classroom and remain standing until the teacher is seated or gives permission to sit. Greet your teacher appropriately when the teacher enters and leaves the class.
27. Nothing is more appreciated in a student than courteous and mannerly behaviour. Greet your teachers when you meet them inside and outside the campus. Do not tuck up your dhoti when you are in the campus. Please note, it is rude behaviour to enter a room without being asked to, not to say ‘Thank you’ when something is done for you, to jump queues, to scramble for seats in the bus, to get past a person at a door or passage without saying ‘Excuse me’ or not to say ‘sorry’ when you have bumped into someone.
28. Students are expected to spend their free hours in the Library/Reading Room. They should not loiter along the verandas, nearby roads or crowd at the gate or in the main road.
29. All types of ragging and eve-teasing are strictly prohibited. Such cases will be reported immediately to the police.

ATTENDANCE AND LEAVE OF ABSENCE

Attendance will be marked at the beginning of each period by the teacher engaging the class. Late-comers may be given or refused attendance for the period, or marked late, at the discretion of the teacher concerned. If a student is absent for one hour it will be treated as absence for half a day and if his absence is for two or more than two hours, it will be treated as absence for one full day.

A student requiring leave for a particular period may be granted such leave by the teacher concerned. A student who is present cannot leave without permission.

Application for leave for more than a period must be made to the Principal in the prescribed form by 9.30 a.m. When absence is due to some unforeseen cause, the application should be submitted as early as possible, and in no case later than the first day of the student’s return to the college.

Absence without leave from any examination or from the composition or practical work will be reported by the teachers concerned to the Principal. Leave of absence from a term examination should be obtained from the Principal.

A student absenting himself from the college even for a day should submit the leave application to the Principal, duly signed by the teacher in-charge.

A student absenting himself for a period exceeding five working days, whether with or without leave, should on his return to the college, report to the Principal.

A student absenting himself without leave for more than ten consecutive days will have his name removed from the rolls and he may be re-admitted on payment of college dues, if any.

Application for leave must be countersigned by the student’s guardian and recommended by the tutor or the teacher-in-charge of attendance or the HoD and is to be submitted to the principal immediately after the return from his/her leave. For hostel students, the warden’s recommendation is sufficient. All leave applications including duty leave, must be submitted within one week.

Duty leave for physical education activities will be granted only to athletes representing the college or university in various matches, tournaments and sports events. Such Students should submit their leave applications duly recommended by the Director of Physical Education not later than one week after the event.

The maximum period for which duty leave can be granted to a student for sports is 10% of the total number of working days. NCC cadets are also eligible for such leave.

Students having a minimum of 75% average attendance for all the courses only can register for the examination. Condonation of shortage of attendance to a maximum of 10 days in a semester subject to a maximum of 2 times during the whole period of the programme may be granted by the university on valid grounds. This condonation shall not be counted for internal assessment. Benefit of attendance may be granted to students attending University, College Union, co-curricular activities by treating them as present for the days of absence, on production of participation/attendance certificates, within one week from competent authorities and endorsed by the head of the institution. This is limited to a maximum of 10 days per semester and this benefit shall be considered for internal assessment also. Those students who are not eligible even with condonation of shortage of attendance shall repeat the semester along with the next batch after obtaining readmission.

IDENTITYY CARDS

At the time of admission, the students will be provided with an identity card. Students are required to wear college identity cards while in the campus. Students are not permitted to enter the campus without wearing their identity cards. For availing of any service from the college, identity card is mandatory.  If a student loses his/her identity card, a duplicate should be obtained immediately on payment of ₹ 100/-. It should be produced for verification when it is asked for by any member of the college staff.

RESIDENCE OF STUDENTS

1. Boy students not residing with their parents should normally reside in the Christu Raj hostel. Women students in degree and postgraduate classes can find accommodation in the five women’s hostels located just opposite the college – Sacred Heat, Alphonsa, Adoration, Carmelararm and Assumption. Students can, however, stay with their local guardians.
2. Students are strictly forbidden to reside in unapproved lodgings. The students residing outside the campus should under the responsibility of their parents/ guardians. However, their lodging details are to be given in writing to the Heads of the Departments.
3. Students shall submit to the college office in the prescribed form obtainable there, full information regarding their residence.
4. Any subsequent change in residence can be made only with the written permission of the Principal.
5. A student seeking admission to Christu Raj hostel has to pay ₹ 5000 as caution deposit, ₹ 1000 as administrative charges and ₹ 1000 as admission fee along with his application for admission. No exemption will be made to this rule except in the case of scheduled tribes, scheduled castes and Christian converts from them.
6. For admission to C.R. hostel, application should be made direct to the Warden Rev. Dr. Salvin Kappiliparampil Thomas or to the Assistant Warden Rev. Fr. Joseph Pallackal after securing permanent admission in the college. The application form is to be downloaded from the hostel website (https://www.christurajhostel.com).
7. The mess being run on the dividing system, rates vary according to the menu, the strength of the mess and fluctuation in prices.
8. In all matters of admission, accommodation and disciplinary action against the boarders, the Principal’s s ruling will be final.
9. A hosteller leaving the college is not entitled to T.C. and caution money unless he/ she produces a certificate from the warden that his/her dues to the hostel have been fully paid up.
10. If a student residing in the hostel absents himself/herself from the classes without bonafide reasons he/she shall be asked to quit the hostel.
11. Dismissal from the hostel for grave misconduct will entail similar punishment in the college and punishment in the college for misconduct of boarders will entail similar punishment in the hostel also.
12. 3% of the total seats are reserved for handicapped students.

MAHATMA GANDHI UNIVERSITY

STUDENTS’ CODE OF CONDUCT RULES – 2005

Mahatma Gandhi University Students’ Code of Conduct Rules-2005 introduced vide UO. No. 162/2004/2/Elen. dated 16 February 2005 has laid down rules for maintaining discipline in all colleges affiliated to the university, which will be binding on all students of the college. The university order prohibits political activity inside the campus. Political activity is defined as “any act, activity or conduct by any student in a college by which political ideologies of any political parties recognized by the Election Commission are preached, professed, imparted or disseminated by speeches, visible representation or other means of communication whatsoever”.

Prohibition on political activity inside the campus means the following: –

• No student of a college shall get himself involved in any political activity by himself or abet the said activity to be carried on by fellow students inside the campus in any manner whatsoever and any such activity is hereby banned inside the campus.
• Taking part in any political activity by organizing students or gathering inside the college campus for the purpose of doing any activity as defined in Rule 4 (6) shall constitute serious indiscipline. Every member of such a gathering shall be individually liable and responsible for the gross indiscipline in this regard and the Principal has the power to take disciplinary action against students who indulge in the aforesaid activities.
• It shall constitute gross indiscipline to call for an appeal to strike based on policies and l ideologies that may be preached by the political parties or their sister organizations or student wings. The participants in the strike as aforesaid shall be dealt with by the disciplinary authority and they will be punished as per the rules stated above.
• No student of a college shall stage or indulge in any activity like dharna, gherao, obstructing entry to and from any class room, office, hall or other places inside the campus and such activities shall be treated as misconduct.
• No student shall shout slogans inside the classrooms, office or any other place inside the campus and obstruct or cause disturbance to the everyday functioning of the institution.

HIGH COURT ORDER PROHIBITING CAMPUS POLITICS

The Honourable High Court of Kerala has declared in the St. Thomas College, Palai Case Judgement dated 26-05-2003 that the educational institution has the right to prohibit political activities on the campus and forbid students from organising or attending meetings other than the official ones within the College campus. The relevant part of the Judgement is quoted below: –

We are of the view that guideline (9) banning political activities within the campus and forbidding the students from organising or attending meetings other than the official ones within the campus is not designed to prohibit any of the fundamental rights of the students guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (a) or 19 (1) (c). It is not a total prohibition of any fundamental right, but only a reasonable restriction confined to college campus and the code of conduct cannot be flouted in the name of any other freedom or the rights guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (a) or 19 (1) (c). Once students are admitted to an educational institution, they are bound by the code of conduct laid down by the educational institutions through the prospectus or College calendar and it is implicit that they should observe the code of conduct necessary for the proper administration and management of the institution. Restrictions are only reasonable and designed to promote discipline in the educational institution so that the objectives of the educational institution could be achieved and the wisdom of laying down those restrictions cannot be challenged by the student after getting admitted to the educational institution. The right to admission not being absolute there could be regulatory measures for ensuring educational standards and maintaining excellence in education. Rules are made for maintaining discipline in the educational institution which is applicable equally to the management, teaching staff, non-teaching staff and the student community as a whole for its proper functioning. Clause 9 of the General Discipline laid down by St Thomas College, Palai does not violate Article 19 (1) (a) or 19 (1) (c) of the Constitution of India and therefore liable to be upheld. In other words, those restrictions are for the proper functioning of the educational institution itself.

UGC REGULATION ON CURBING RAGGING

In June 2009, the UGC has notified a comprehensive set of regulations to curb the menace of ragging in educational institutions.

What is Ragging?

As per the UGC Regulations 2009, ‘Ragging’ constitutes one or more of any of the following acts:-

• Any conduct by any student or students whether by words spoken or written or by an act which rudeness a fresher or any other student.
• Indulging in rowdy or indisciplined activities by any student or students which causes or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship, physical or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in any fresher or any other student.
• Asking any student to do any act which such student will not in the ordinary course do and which has the effect or causing in generating a sense of shame, or torment or embracement so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of such fresher or any other student.
• Any act by a senior student that prevents, disrupts or disturbs the regular academic activity of any other student including a fresher.
• Exploiting the services of a fresher or any other student for completing the academic tasks assigned to an individual or group of students.
• Any act of financial extortion or forceful expenditure burden put on a fresher or any other student by students.
• Any act of physical abuse including all variants of sexual abuse, homosexual assaults, stripping, forced obscene and lewd acts, gestures, causing bodily harm or any other danger to health or person.
• Any act or abuse by spoken words which would also include deriving perverted pleasure, vicarious or sadistic thrill from actively or passively participating in the discomfiture to fresher or any other student.
• Any act that the mental health and self-confidence of a fresher or any other Student with or without an intent to derive a sadistic pleasure or showing off power, authority or Superiority by a student over any fresher or any other student.

PUNISHMENTS

The UGC regulations stipulate that students can be expelled from an institute and debarred from taking admission to any other institute for a specified period after being found guilty of the offence.

As per the regulations any students can be fined up to Rs. 2.5 Lakhs if found guilty of ragging. The UGC regulations provide for justification of a student, a period from one to four semesters.

Depending upon the nature and gravity of the offence as established by the Anti-Ragging Committee of the institution, the possible punishments for those found guilty of ragging at the institution level shall be any one or any combination of the following: –

• Suspension from attending classes and academic privileges.
• Withholding/withdrawing scholarship/fellowship and other benefits.
• Debarring from appearing in any test/examination or other evaluation process.
• Withholding results.
• Debarring from representing the institution in any regional, national or international meet, tournament, youth festival etc.
• Suspension/expulsion from the hostel.
• Cancellation of admission.
• Rustication from the institution for periods ranging from 1 to 4 semesters.
• Expulsion from the institution and consequent debarring from admission to any other institution for a specified period.
• Fine ranging between ₹ 25,000/- and ₹ 2.5 lakh.
• Collective punishment: When the persons committing or abetting the crime of ragging are not identified, the institution shall resort to collective punishment.