Media access order puts MG University on collision course with Minister

MG University sources indicated that the order is unlikely to be withdrawn in response to the Minister’s demand.

A face-off is brewing at Mahatma Gandhi (MG) University over media access to the campus, with Higher Education Minister Roji M. John demanding the immediate withdrawal of an order requiring journalists to obtain the Vice-Chancellor’s prior permission before entering the campus to gather university-related news. But the university is refusing to back down, insisting that the directive is merely an administrative arrangement and not a ban on the media.

Calling the order undemocratic, Mr. John said that restricting media access to a public institution would undermine transparency and the public’s right to know. He warned that any attempt to curb media freedom would be strongly resisted.

In a social media post, the Minister invoked Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression, and said media freedom was an integral part of it. “Universities should be spaces for free thought and democratic discourse. Restricting media access to such institutions reflects authoritarian tendencies. Any attempt to undermine media freedom will be strongly opposed,” he said, adding that the government would not allow such measures at MG University or any other higher education institution in Kerala.

The university, however, has stood its ground. “There is no ban on the media, as is being construed. This is an administrative arrangement to ensure transparent and secure entry to the campus, similar to the regulations applicable to other visitors,” Vice-Chancellor D. Mavuth told The Hindu.

According to him, the directive followed instances of television channels entering offices, including the Syndicate Hall in the Administrative Block, to record visuals and collect reactions on issues unrelated to the university, without the knowledge or permission of the university authorities. Such activities could disrupt the academic atmosphere, examination and teaching activities and campus security. The university also feared that comments made by individuals on unrelated matters within its premises could be mistaken for its official position, he added.

Varsity sources, meanwhile, indicated that the order is unlikely to be withdrawn in response to the Minister’s demand. They maintained that the university was bound by the directions of the Governor and its Chancellor, and not those of the Minister. They also linked the move to the widening rift between the UDF-backed Syndicate members and the Vice-Chancellor, a nominee of the Governor.

Issued by the Registrar’s office on Friday (November 13, 2026) at the Vice-Chancellor’s instructions, the order has triggered protests from student and employee organisations on the campus. The latest directive also comes against the backdrop of an earlier restriction imposed by the Vice-Chancellor on Syndicate members, barring them from making comments to the media on political matters from offices inside the campus.