“Punitive Response Masked As Concern For Student Welfare”: AUSG Member Gets Suspended Blindsiding AUSG, EC

On Saturday, 20th July 2025, the Ashoka University Student Government (AUSG) informed the student body via email of the suspension of UG Council member Maryam Andleeb (UG'28). This was followed by a formal statement condemning and expressing concern over a lack of transparency and “disregard for elected governance bodies” that damages “trust between the students and administration.” 

The statement was released after Andleeb received a formal notice on Friday, July 19th, from the Registrar's Office, suspending their AUSG membership with immediate effect and directing them to vacate campus, on medical grounds. The notice also requires Andleeb to submit a medical fitness certificate from a registered mental health practitioner before rejoining the university.       

The decision was made on the recommendations of a “special committee”, comprised of Professor Arunava Sinha, Dr. Kasturi Mitra, and Mr. Vineet Sabharwal, a current administration member of Ashoka University, and one that was constituted by the Vice Chancellor. 

In an interview with The Edict, Andleeb said that the notice mentioned a meeting held by the committee on 4th July to discuss “new information they have received.” Andleeb was present at this meeting, where she received what she described as “frivolous” allegations for behaviours such as having poor personal hygiene. The committee also cited concerns regarding Andleeb’s “behaviour” and “emotional state.” According to Andleeb, they also raised that she might have mental health issues; something she denied.

Andleeb has stated that she has had a clean record throughout. “[...] before this, I didn’t have any infractions. No history of misbehaving with anyone or anything like that, so this completely blindsided me,” Andleeb said. She stated further, “I raised concerns about how some students have harassed me, and how I’ve had horrible experiences with someone from the admin. None of that was considered when they concluded that I had mental health concerns.”

The committee also referred to an ongoing inquiry into Andleeb’s ‘concerning behaviour’; however, she was not contacted again after the 4th July meeting. The next communication she received was the formal suspension notice on 19th July. 

The special committee referenced in the notice included no qualified mental health practitioners. The body was not publicly formalised, raising questions about its authority to issue decisions affecting elected student positions and the ad hoc nature of the process involved in removing an active student from the university premises. The notice also did not cite any professional psychiatric evaluation as the basis of its decision. Instead, the decisions were made based on internal interviews with “some persons which includes wardens and students”, without transparency regarding the methodology of decision-making or verification of these ‘supporting’ testimonies. 

In speaking about the process, Dheeraj Sanghi, the Dean of Student Affairs (DSA) at Ashoka University, said that “If the psychiatrist says that parental care is needed, that is when we tell the student to go.” He added that while the decision is completely left to the psychiatrist, there is no reason for them to be a member of the committee; rather, they would have a psychiatrist's opinion as part of the proceedings. 

Andleeb also alleged that no support was offered to them for either accommodation(s) or academic continuity following the directive to leave campus. “I was asked to evacuate campus immediately,” they said. Additionally, they mentioned that their parents have as little information as they do, and were refused a meeting with the Registrar when their parents asked for the same on the 19th of July.

Andleeb adds, “Despite repeated attempts, my professors, Teaching Fellows, or I have received no communication from the Office of Academic Affairs or authorities involved.” Reflecting, Andleeb tells The Edict, “If I am back on campus, I don’t think I’ll have the courage to be politically active anymore after all of this.” 

When asked about the legal or institutional frameworks on which such decisions are based, Sanghi said, “If you look at the rule of the university, the Vice Chancellor has unlimited powers; you can be sure Ashoka would have the best legal opinion possible.” 

[Edited By Tanisha Pandey]

*Both the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar were unavailable to comment on the matter as of publication.