Panjab University drops affidavit restricting student protests

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], November 4 (ANI): Panjab University on Tuesday decided to withdraw the controversial affidavit that required students to submit undertakings regarding their conduct and mode of protest.
The decision was made following a meeting held at the Vice Chancellor's office, officials said.
According to a release, the affidavit, which had been challenged before the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Archit Garg, former Vice President of Panjab University Campus Students' Council (PUCSC), was argued to be unconstitutional and violative of the fundamental rights to freedom of speech, expression, and peaceful assembly under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of the Constitution of India.
The petition emphasised that no administrative regulation can override these guaranteed rights or impose blanket restrictions on dissent in an educational institution.

Following today's deliberations, the university administration has agreed to withdraw the affidavit in its entirety, effective immediately, and will inform the High Court at the upcoming hearing of the complete withdrawal, the release said.
Following this assurance, Archit Garg, the petitioner in the case, has undertaken to withdraw the writ petition once the University's official communication is filed in court.
"This rollback is not just an administrative decision -- it is a legal vindication of students' constitutional rights. Our argument before the Hon'ble High Court was simple: no university can demand that students surrender their right to protest as a precondition for participation in campus activities. Today, the University has accepted that position, reaffirming that constitutional freedoms extend fully to campus spaces," Garg said. (ANI)