Preamble
We at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s, Sardar Patel Institute of Technology have introduced a code of conduct for the students, to foster the scholarly and civic development of the students in a safe and secure learning environment, and to protect the people, properties and processes that support the institute and its missions. The code of conduct comprises the instructions obliging the students enrolled for various programmes/courses in the college and have to abide by the same. It is pertinent for the students to be aware of the rules and regulations, protect their rights and become more responsible towards the institution.
The student code of conduct defines acceptable behaviour and social norms that all students in Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan’s, Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, Mumbai, Maharashtra should adopt on a day-to-day basis. All students, pursuing undergraduate, post-graduate, research Ph.D. and those who are withdrawn from the rolls on temporary basis for a semester or for an academic year for various reasons, but continue their relationship with the Institution, or who have been notified of their acceptance for admission must align their actions with the ethos of the institute.
The code should be adhered to by all the students enrolled in various programmes/courses in the college, while they are in campus as well representing college off-campus. The code is available on the institute official website for students’ reference.
To ensure that, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s, Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, prescribes the following code of conduct for its students:
Code of Conduct for Students are as follows:
- Students are expected to practice high standards of academic and professional honesty and integrity and to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other members of the academic community as well as the Society.
- The student must be regular and shall fulfil the attendance norms. As per norms of University of Mumbai, students are required to maintain minimum attendance of 75% in each subject failing which the Institute reserves the right to detain the student.
- Students should refrain from any conduct that would interfere with institute functions or endanger the health, welfare, or safety of other individual.
- Students must not indulge in any activities amounting to violation of college rules and regulations, maintain integrity and avoid any form of misconduct affecting institute’s standing. Disciplinary action will be taken against student/s found violating rules of conduct.Forms of misconduct are as follows:
- Violation of college rules, regulations and any act of theft or damage causing loss to the college property, property of faculty and other students.
- Non-possession of Identity card issued by the college or refusal to produce the same on demand by authorities.
- Use of abusive language, physical violence, bullying, threatening, acts of discrimination on the basis of gender, caste, religion, race, language, color, sexual orientation, disabilities (physical or mental), or any act endangering life or personal safety of others.
- Violations of rules and non-compliance of decisions related to Sexual Harassment and Internal Complaints Committee, Anti-Ragging, Grievance Redressal and Unfair Means during examinations.
- Consumption, sale, possession and use of drugs, tobacco, smoking, alcohol, weapons, or any destructive devices including unauthorised possession of such objects contrary to the prevalent legal regulations.
- Acts of indulgence in gambling, forgery, providing misleading/incorrect information.
- Use of media or technology for academic purpose, extracurricular activities and promotional activities without proper permission.
- Accessing, storing, viewing, transmitting and/or circulating any pornographic and/or obscene material.
- Any disruptive act/s thereby hampering teaching learning process in the campus.
- Refrain from Academic Misconduct and cheating including the following but not limited to:
- Copying during examinations, or assignments, copying thesis or manuscripts.
- Allowing or facilitating copying, or writing a report or taking examination for someone else.
- Using unauthorized material, copying, collaborating when not authorized.
- Fabricating (making up) or falsifying (manipulating) data and reporting them in thesis and publications.
- Creating sources, or citations that do not exist.
- Altering previously evaluated and re-submitting the work for re-evaluation.
- Forgery of another student’s name on an assignment, report, research paper, and thesis or attendance sheet.
- Refrain from Plagiarism of material, ideas, figures, code, or data as one’s own, without appropriately acknowledging the original source.Examples of plagiarism include:
- Reproducing in whole or in part text/sentences from a report, book, thesis, publication or from the internet.
- Reproducing one’s own previously published data, illustrations, figures, images, or someone else’s data, etc.
- Taking material from class-notes or incorporating material from the internet, Graphs, drawings, photographs, diagrams, tables, spreadsheets, computer programs, or other non-textual material from other sources into one’s class reports, presentations, manuscripts, research papers or thesis without proper attribution.
- Self-plagiarism which constitutes copying verbatim from one’s own earlier Published work in a journal or conference proceedings without appropriate citations.
- Submitting a purchased or downloaded term paper or other materials to satisfy a course requirement.
- Paraphrasing or changing an author’s words or style without citation.
- Ragging in any form as defined under the UGC Prohibition of Ragging and Regulations, 2009 is strictly prohibited.Rules: Anti-Ragging:
Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan’s, Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, Anti-Ragging Committee is set up as per the guidelines of the University of Mumbai. Ragging is banned as per the Supreme Court Ruling (Civil Appeal No. 887 of 2009) and Mumbai University Circular No. CONCOL/286, dated 23rd July, 2009 and under Section 26 (1) (g) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, New Delhi, 110002.
As per the Gazette of India, July 4, 2009 UGC defines what constitutes Ragging. 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 has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness a fresher or any other student.
- Including in rowdy or in-disciplined 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 of causing or generating a sense of shame, or torment or embarrassment 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 disturb the regular academic activity of any other student or a fresher.
- Exploiting the services of a fresher or any other student for completing the academic tasks assigned to an individual or a 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 it: sexual abuse, homosexual assaults, stripping, forcing obscene and lewd acts, gesture, causing bodily harm or any other danger to health or person.
- Any act or abuse by spoken words, emails, post, public insults 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 affects 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.
- 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.
Note: An offence of Ragging may be charged either on a written complaint by the affected or on independent finding of the Anti-Ragging Squad.
- Annual Fee must be paid on time and at the time of completion of the course, the student shall be required to clear any pending dues if any.
- Do not obstruct or disrupt teaching or freedom of conduct or other lawful activities on the campus/premises or in connection with any other college-sponsored event or activity.
- Students need to take prior permission from his/her mentor/HoD/Dean before submitting/publishing papers, participating in co-curricular activities and extracurricular activities and duly intimate the status after completion of the event.
- Students are not permitted to undertake any educational tours or Industrial visits without the prior approval and permission of the HoD / Dean / Principal. All Educational tours or Industrial visits shall be accompanied by the faculty members after obtaining necessary undertaking from the Parents / Guardian of the students.
- All student committees must obtain prior permission from Dean-administration before conducting any event on campus or off campus. This must be showcased when asked by any governing authorities.
- Return all infrastructure such as projector, benches, stools, tables, extension boards etc to the respective departments/sections in proper condition after the completion of the event/s.
- Switch off all electrical appliances such as lights, fans, ACs before leaving the classrooms/laboratories/conference room/seminar halls etc. Outside eatables are not allowed in laboratories.
- Lockers to be care properly and keys to be returned on completion of the program. Avoid keeping inappropriate and undesirable material in the locker.
- Submit any certificates obtained by participation in academic, extra-curricular and co-curricular activities to the class teacher within 10 days of receiving it for official record.
- Maintain cleanliness and hygiene in washrooms, boys and girls common rooms, classrooms and laboratories etc..
- Do not engage in sexual discrimination in verbal or physical behaviour directed at an individual or group based on origin, race, creed, gender, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation that is likely to create an intimidating or demeaning environment that impedes a conducive atmosphere in the institute.
- Do not falsify, mislead, forge, or alter official or academic records or documents or conspire with or induce others to forge or alter college records or documents.
- Institute prohibits unauthorized access and use of Institute properties such as offices, labs, seminar halls, conference room and other physical spaces, keys, telephones, and IT infrastructure without proper authorization from Dean-Administration.
- Refrain from any act of Violence, damage to property, theft, threatening, harassing, or assaultive conduct causing injury to other persons within the campus.
- A Student or group of Students shall not form any organization, society or organize any event or collect funds or subscriptions without the specific written permission of the concerned authorities.
- Cooperate when requested by an authorized institute official in any internal investigation.
- Observe social Etiquette and be punctual while attending the meeting(s) (offline/online) invited by the authorities.
- Strictly avoid illegal or unauthorized possession or use of weapons or articles or substances usable as weapons, including, but not limited to, firearms, incendiary devices, explosives, and dangerous biological or chemical agents.
- Do not consume any intoxicating drinks or drugs during college hours and on campus.
- Smoking and Gambling of any kind is not permitted and strictly prohibited inside the campus.
- Do not engage or incite other students to engage by any means whatsoever and perform or attempt to perform acts which bring disrepute to other students / faculty of the institute.
- Do not use electronic or other means to record or photograph any person and distribute it on the campus without the person’s prior knowledge and permission.
- Appropriately dress to maintain the professional etiquette in the institute during college hours.
- Commit yourself to and uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and democratic values. Do not join or support any illegal strike.
- The use of the Institute’s name, logo, seal, and photographs in the advertising and other promotional material and activities of outside organizations is prohibited.
- Rules: Unfair Means Inquiry Committee:Unfair Means Inquiry Committee is formed as per O.5050 of university of Mumbai. The Committee has been constituted in keeping with the statutory requirements of the University of Mumbai. The committee functions as a recommendatory body and submit its recommendations in the form of a report to concerned competent authority which will take action against students caught practicing unfair means during examinations or resorting to malpractices in examinations.
“Unfair means” includes one or more of the following acts or omissions on the part of students/during the examination period.
- Possessing unfair means material and or copying there from.
- Transcribing any unauthorized material or any other use thereof.
- Intimidating or using obscene language or threatening or use of violence against invigilator or person on duty for the conduct of examination or manhandling him/her or leaving the examination hall without permission of the supervisor or causing disturbances in any manner in the examination proceedings.
- Unauthorized communicating with other examinees or anyone else inside or outside the examination hall.
- Mutual/Mass copying
- Smuggling-put, either blank or written, or smuggling-in of answer books as copying material.
- Smuggling-in blank or written answer book and forging signature of the Jr. Supervisor thereon.
- Interfering with or counterfeiting of University/College/Institution seal or answer book or office stationary used in the examinations.
- Insertion of currency notes in the answer books or attempting to bribe any of the persons connected with conduct of examinations.
- Impersonation at the University/ College/ Institution examination.
- Revealing identity in any form in the answer written or in any other part of the answer book by the student at the University or college or institution examination.
- Or any other similar act/s and/or omission/s which may be considered as unfair means by the competent authority.
Violations of Code of Conduct
- Any student found to have committed or attempted to have committed the following act or omission, is subject to appropriate disciplinary action under this Code.
- These instances are illustrative, and the college reserves the right to take disciplinary action as mentioned below in appropriate circumstances not set out in the code.
- A student should make representation of any suspected infringement or violations of applicable rules and regulations through proper channels beginning with the immediate superior. If for any reason, it is not appropriate to report suspected violations to the immediate superior (e.g. the suspected infringement is by the supervisor), the individual may go to a higher level of management within his/her department or institute.
- Reports/representations shall be made to the grievance redressal committee furnishing information/evidence, for necessary redressal.
- The affected students should address their problem through proper channels to the grievance committee. If they are not satisfied with the committee’s outcome, only then can they appeal to higher authorities, Deans/Principal.
- Any student who is not a party to the violation of the code of conduct but is a mere witness is equally responsible to bring to the Deans/Principal acts of such violations on a real time basis. Failing to do so will amount to the witness being charged with equal disciplinary actions
Punishment and Penalties
One or more of the following actions can be taken when a student is found to have violated the student code of conduct:
- Warning: A written letter of reprimand resulting from a student’s misconduct.
- Suspension: Suspension is an action that terminates the student’s continuity in the College campus for a specified period.
- Monetary Fines: Monetary Fines are a disciplinary action in which a student is made to pay an amount towards committing misconduct. It also includes Restitution which means making compensation for loss, injury, or damage of the college property.
- Confiscation: Confiscation means confiscation of goods used or possessed in violation of college regulations.
- Restriction of Privileges: Restriction of privileges means the denial or depriving of specific privileges, including but not limited to, access to a student facility, placement programmers, college events for a defined period.
- Withholding of Degree: Means withholding of degree otherwise earned for a defined period or until the completion of assigned disciplinary action.
- Dismissal is an extreme action, which permanently separates a student from the college campus without giving an opportunity to re-enroll at any time in future.
- Other sanctions: Other appropriate disciplinary actions may be imposed by the Competent Authority.