Calicut University Syndicate members seek limited Vande Mataram at doctorate event
Pro-Left Syndicate members of Calicut University want only two stanzas of Vande Mataram sung at the October 6 honorary doctorate ceremony, citing the 1971 National Honour Act.
A group of pro-Left Syndicate members at the University of Calicut has asked the Registrar to ensure that only two stanzas of Vande Mataram are sung at the honorary doctorate presentation ceremony scheduled for October 6 on the main campus.
Governor and Chancellor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Minister for Higher Education Roji M. John are expected to attend the event.
Filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad and industrialist P.K. Ahammed will receive Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) degrees, while scientist E.D. Jemmis will be presented with a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.).
In a letter to the Registrar on Monday, September 28, 2026, the Syndicate members — P.P. Sumod MLA, M.B. Faisal, T. Mohammed Saleem, K. Mohammed Haneefa, K. Pradeep Kumar, P. Sushanth and E. Abdurahim — said that if the national song is to be sung, university laws and applicable guidelines must be fully followed.
They cited Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, to argue that singing the entire song is not mandatory. The members urged the Registrar to organise the ceremony in a manner that upholds what they described as the secular legacy of Malabar and the University of Calicut.
Separately, the Kerala High Court has directed the university authorities to file a counter affidavit in response to a petition by senate members P.A. Baby Shari and P.K. Dinesh, who have objected to the ceremony on the ground that the decision to hold it did not have the approval of the senate. The case is set to be heard on October 1.