Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore.

STUDENTS’ CODE OF CONDUCT

1. PREAMBLE :
a. The Code shall be called the VIT Students’ Code of Conduct.
b. This Code indicates the standard procedures and practices of the Vellore Institute of
Technology, Vellore (hereinafter referred to as the ‘VIT’) for all students.
c. All students are bound to abide by this Code and the rights, responsibilities including the
restrictions flowing from it.
d. The Institute’s endeavour is to administer student discipline that is egalitarian,
conscientious, and expeditious.
e. This Code shall be displayed in the Institute website.
2. JURISDICTION :

The Institute shall have jurisdiction to take cognisance of all acts of misconduct including
incidents of ragging or otherwise that may take place within the Institute campus or its
precincts thereof and those in connection with the Institute’s activities. The Institute shall be
guided by the proximity of the cause for misconduct with the affairs of the Institute than the
location of misconduct.

3. ETHICS AND CONDUCT :

1. At the time of admission, every student is required to sign a statement abiding by this
Code.
2. Every student shall be regular and must complete his/her studies in the Institute in
prescribed tenure.
3. In the event, a student is forced to discontinue studies for any legitimate reason, such a
student may be relieved from the Institute on an application in writing with the consent
of his parent/guardian subject to written consent of the Dean.
4. As a result of such relieving, the student shall be required to clear pending hostel / mess
dues and if a student had joined the Institute on a scholarship, the said grant shall be
revoked.
5. Every student shall uphold academic integrity, respect all persons and their rights and
property and safety of others.

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 6. All students must refrain from indulging in any and all forms of misconduct including
partaking in any activity off-campus which can affect the Institute’s interests and
reputation.

4. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY :
1. Every student of the Institute shall bear responsibility for ensuring highest standards
of academic integrity.
2. As an institution of scientific and technological education and research, the Institute
values academic, intellectual and ethical integrity. The Institute shall endeavour to
duly acknowledge academic contribution. Violations of academic integrity shall
constitute a serious misconduct.
3. Any failure of academic integrity shall be treated as a threat to both the reputation of
the Institute and the degrees awarded to the students.
4. The following list is indicative and not exhaustive : Every student is required to –
i. ensure proper citations;
ii. acknowledge and cite use of the ideas, results, material or words of others.
iii. all work submitted are produced only with permissible materials or
authorised collaborations.
iv. obtain data or results by ethical means and report them without suppressing
any results inconsistent with his or her interpretation or conclusions.
v. treat other students in an ethical manner, respect their integrity and right to
academic progress without interference.
5. MISCONDUCT :
A student who commits misconduct shall be liable to be dealt with in accordance with the
provisions of these Rules.
For the purpose of these Rules without prejudice to the general meaning of the term, the
following acts and omissions shall constitute misconduct and the term ‘habitual’ shall mean
as defined hereinabove.
(i) Willful insubordination or instigation thereof, disobedience or instigation thereof
whether alone or in combination with another, of any lawful and reasonable
instruction of any member of the Faculty.
(ii) Participation in an illegal or unjustified strike or abetting, inciting, instigating or
acting in furtherance thereof, whether alone or in combination with others.
(iii) Theft, fraud or dishonesty in connection with the Institute’s property or theft of
another student or employee’s property within the Institute.

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 (iv) Giving bribes or any other illegal gratifications to any employee in any manner
whatsoever.
(v) Habitual absence from attending classroom or lab sessions without permission or
absence without permission.
(vi) Frequent or Habitual late attendance.
(vii) Habitual breach or gross and deliberate violation of any Code of Conduct, or any
law applicable to the Institute or any rules made thereunder.
(viii) Collecting contributions for any purpose whatsoever at any time without the
permission of the Dean of the respective school.
(ix) Engaging in trade within the Institute without the written permission of the Dean of
the respective school.
(x) Drunkenness or riotous, disorderly, indecent or improper behavior, use of abusive
language, threatening, intimidating, coercing or interfering with the work of other
students / employees, assault or threat of assault either provoked or otherwise
within the Institute or the commission of any act subversive of good and proper
behavior within the Institute.
(xi) Commission of any act or conduct subversive of the discipline whether within the
premises or outside in connection with Institute’s work.
(xii) Habitual negligence or neglect of instructions.
(xiii) Habitual breach of any rules or instructions for the maintenance and operation of
any department or the maintenance of the cleanliness of any portion of the Institute.
(xiv) Causing damage, whether willful or due to irresponsible action or damage due to
negligence or carelessness to any property of the Institute or within the Institute or
any instigation or abetment thereof.
(xv) Organizing, holding, attending or taking part in any meeting without the prior
sanction of the Registrar.
(xvi) Disclosing to any unauthorized person any information in regard to the processes or
any interests of the Institute which may come into the possession of a student.
(xvii) Gambling within the Institute.
(xviii) Smoking within the Institute.
(xix) Possession or consumption of alcohol or narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances
within the Institute or during travel authorized by the Institute.
(xx) Failure to observe duly notified safety instructions or normal safety precautions or
interference with any safety device or equipment installed within the Institute.

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 (xxi) Marking attendance of any student other than his own.
(xxii) Declared and being carried in the registers of police as a bad character or conviction
by any court of law for any criminal offence.
(xxiii) Registration of any criminal case for any act directly or indirectly connected with the
Institute.
(xxiv) Doing private or personal work, within the Institute with or without tools or
materials belonging to the Institute without the previous written permission of the
Dean of the respective school.
(xxv) Distributing or exhibiting within the Institute handbills, pamphlets, posters or
causing to be displayed by means of signs or writing or other visible representations
any matter without the previous written sanction of the Dean of the respective
school.
(xxvi) Making false, vicious and malicious statements in public or otherwise against the
Institute or any student or any member or employee of the Institute.
(xxvii) Willful falsification, defacement or destruction of any records of the Institute,
whether maintained by himself or by any student or employee of the Institute.
(xxviii) Knowingly making false or misleading statement or misrepresentation.
(xxix) Possession of any weapon in the Institute.
(xxx) Failure to report damage or defects noticed in machinery, equipment and processes.
(xxxi) Refusal to submit for medical examination when required to do so by the Registrar.
(xxxii) Applying for leave or seeking ratification of absence for reasons found to be false.
(xxxiii) Running of chit funds or other schemes for raising loans within the establishment.
(xxxiv) Refusal or failure to wear uniforms/work dress within the Institute premises.
(xxxv) Shouting any slogan within the Institute whether alone or in combination with
others without express permission in writing of the Registrar.
(xxxvi) Spitting in the Institute.
(xxxvii) Refusal to wear or show the identity card.
(xxxviii) Willful or deliberate wasting of any food or snacks or beverages supplied by the
Institute canteen or any eatery within the premises.
(xxxix) Threatening any student / employee alone or in combination with others or through
any outsider.
(xl) Willful or deliberate misuse of any amenity provided by the Institute.
(xli) Gaining admission by impersonation or by production of false identity card or fake
certificates.

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 (xlii) Any conduct that is likely to endanger the life or safety of any student or employee
of the Institute.
(xliii) Habitual overstaying sanctioned leave without sufficient grounds or satisfactory
explanation or leaving the premises when leave is refused.
(xliv) Refusal to receive any written order or other lawful or proper communications
served in accordance with these Rules.
(xlv) Making malicious statements against the Institute or its Officers either verbal,
printed materials, electronic means or online internet / intranet facilities.
(xlvi) Sexual harassment.
(xlvii) Causing any disruptive activity within the Institute in any manner whatsoever.
(xlviii) Being a member of any outfit banned by the Government of India or extending any
kind of support to such banned outfit.
(xlix) Unauthorized possession, carrying or use of any weapon, ammunition, explosives, or
potential weapons, fireworks.
(l) Unauthorized possession or use of harmful chemicals and banned drugs.
(li) Parking a vehicle in a no parking zone or in area earmarked for parking other type of
vehicles.
(lii) Rash driving on the campus that is likely to cause inconvenience to others.
(liii) Not disclosing a pre-existing health condition, either physical or psychological, to
the Medical Officer which may cause hindrance to the academic progress.
(liv) Theft or unauthorized access of any academic work.
(lv) Engaging in disorderly, lewd, or indecent conduct, including, but not limited to,
creating unreasonable noise; pushing and shoving; inciting or participating in a riot
or group disruption at the Institute, including and not limited to sloganeering,
throwing stones or such other articles that is likely to cause injury or endangering
safety of others.
(lvi) Interacting, on behalf of the Institute, with media representatives or invite media
persons on to the campus without written permission of the Registrar.
(lvii) Unauthorised recording of audio or video lectures in class rooms or actions of other
students, faculty, or staff without prior written permission.
(lviii) Providing audio and video clippings of any activity on the campus to media without
prior written permission.

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 (lix) Posting derogatory comments about other individuals of the Institute on the social
media or indulging in any such related activities having ramifications on the
reputation of the Institute.
(lx) Causing hindrance or interfering or intruding in privacy of any individual within the
Institute.
(lxi) Passing any disparaging remarks hurting sentiments of others in any manner.
(lxii) Using scripts and other specifically designed software programs to break or hack
into Institute’s system or networks with or without malicious intent, whether to steal
/ manipulate data or spread malware.
(lxiii) Bringing / Allowing any Day Scholar / Day Boarder / Non-VITian inside the
hostel.
(lxiv) Causing any physical / mental harassment towards fellow students including ragging,
quarrelling, using abusive language and violent behavior.
(lxv) Fighting / Slandering / Quarrelling resulting in Minor or Major Injury.
(lxvi) Indulging in any form of Forgery of any document.
(lxvii) Indulging in any form of Multilevel Marketing with the students or employees within
the Institute.
(lxviii) Not reporting to Hostel within the time prescribed.
(lxix) Claiming the work done by other as their own, claiming academic rewards for
activities that are not relevant / done during previous academic periods, making
false academic claims.
(lxx) Carrying Mobile Phone or any other Electronic device in the Examination Halls,
including and not limited to handing over such phones / devices to invigilators for
safe custody.
(lxxi) Markings of any kind found during Examinations in code Books or standard tables
in physical or electronic modes, including and not limited to having chits/scribblings
on any part of the body.
(lxxii) Entering or attempting to enter examination hall 15 minutes after scheduled start
time.
(lxxiii) Exchange of Calculators, Stationaries, Code Books, etc., in the examination hall.
(lxxiv) Writing anything in the question paper other than answers / workings except for the
purpose of examination.
(lxxv) Carrying answer booklets without submitting to the invigilators or unused one, from
the examination hall.

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 (lxxvi) indulge in any disrespectful activities such as shouting / creating a scene in the
examination hall.
(lxxvii) Misuse of Identity Card of the Institute in any form or manner.
(lxxviii) Smoking within the institute or possession of tobacco in any form or manner or e-
cigarettes.
(lxxix) Gaining entry, into women hostel by male students and vice versa
(lxxx) Entering unauthorised hostels.
(lxxxi) Unauthorised use of any electrical gadgets in the hostel rooms.
(lxxxii) Refusal to mark attendance at designated time in hostel or other entry points.
(lxxxiii) Indulging in any act unbecoming of a student of this Institute.

6. ANTI-RAGGING :
a. The ‘UGC Regulation on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions,
2009 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the Institute and the students and any violation
thereof shall invite action in accordance with the said Regulations.
b. ANTI-RAGGING COMMITTEE : The Anti-Ragging Committee as may be
constituted for the purpose morefully provided for in the Regulations contained in
clause 11 above shall deal with matters pertaining to Ragging.
c. A student found guilty by the committee will attract punishment as provided for
under the said Regulations.
d. An Appeal against the any Order of punishment shall lie to The Vice Chancellor.
7. SEXUAL HARASSMENT :
a. The Sexual Harassment (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act, 2013; The UGC
(Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees
& Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015 and the AICTE
(Gender Sensitization, Prevention and Prohibition of Sexual Harassment of Women
Employees and Students and Redressal of Grievances in Technical Educational Institutions)
Regulations, 2016, shall apply mutatis mutandis to the students of the Institute.
b. Any student found guilty by the Committee will attract punishment as recommended
by the Committee.
8. DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE :
a. Complaints of misconduct shall be dealt with by the Disciplinary Committee.
b. The Registrar shall constitute the Enquiry Committee which may be of One Enquiry
Officer or more than one Officers as the case may require.

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 c. The Enquiry Officer / Committee shall generally be a Professor of the School other
than to which the student belongs.
d. The Members of the Committee shall be appointed and hold office at the discretion
of the Registrar.
e. The Enquiry Officer/Committee shall follow procedure in accordance with
principles of natural justice affording reasonable opportunity to the Student to
defend himself.
f. The proceedings shall be treated confidential for all purposes and shall not be
disclosed to any person not connected with the Enquiry without any express order
from a Court of competent jurisdiction.
g. Publication of whole or a part of the proceedings in any manner whatsoever is
strictly prohibited.
9. DISCIPLINARY ACTION :
Any student indulging in any misconduct contained hereinabove shall be dealt with in the
following manner :
a. A Memo containing brief charges shall be served on the student.
b. The student shall be called upon to submit explanation.
c. In case of admission of misconduct, the Enquiry Officer / Committee may
recommend punishment commensurate with the gravity of the misconduct.
d. In case of denial of misconduct, the Enquiry Officer / Committee shall call upon the
Student to appear before such Officer / Committee. The Officer / Committee shall
record its proceedings, statement of witnesses, etc., as the Enquiry Officer /
Committee may deem fit and necessary in the circumstances of the Enquiry.
e. The student proceeded against shall be free to give statement, produce witnesses on
his behalf.
f. No student proceeded against shall engage any third person or Advocate to defend
him in the Enquiry.
g. However, the student shall be free to engage the assistance of another student of the
Institute to assist him in the enquiry. The student who so desires to assist shall
submit his consent in writing to the Officer / Committee.
h. The Enquiry Officer / Committee shall submit its Report within 90 days of
commencement of proceedings to the Registrar of the Institute.
i. In cases of misconduct warranting punishments of removal from the rolls of the
Institute or Suspension of Student for academic session extending to one semester or

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 more, the Registrar shall provide a copy of the Enquiry Officer / Committee’s
Report and call upon the student proceeded against to submit in writing his
statement of defence on such Report, before imposing punishment.
10. PUNISHMENTS :
The Registrar of the Institute shall be the Authority to impose the following
punishments prospectively on any student. The Registrar shall be guided by the
recommendation of the Director – Students’ Welfare in respect of the punishment to be
imposed.

a. INTERIM SUSPENSION – A student may be suspended for a specified period of

time pending enquiry into allegations of misconduct which will entail prohibition on
participating in student related activities, classes, labs, programs etc. However, the
student shall not be prohibited from writing exams; presenting Dissertations or
Projects; attending Viva Voce; during such Interim Suspension.
b. WARNING – Indicating that the action of the delinquent student was in violation of
the Code and any further acts of misconduct shall result in severe disciplinary action.
c. RESTRICTIONS – Reprimanding and Restricting access to various facilities on the
campus for a specified period of time, including and not limited to restrict access
hostel facilities.
d. COMMUNITY SERVICE – Ordering the Student to do certain community services
within the Institute campus or outside the campus for a specified period of time.
e. SUSPENSION – Student shall be imposed with punitive suspension for a specified
period, not exceeding one semester, which will entail prohibition on participating in
student related activities, classes, labs, programs etc.
f. EXPULSION – Expulsion of a student from the Institute permanently.
g. MONETARY PENALTY – A student may be imposed with monetary penalty of
one time fine; suspension or forfeiture of scholarship/fellowship for a specific time
period. No such fine shall exceed a sum of Rs. 10000/-. Such Fine amount shall be
remitted by the punished student only to any social service organisations in Vellore as
may be recommended in the Order of punishment.
h. Ineligibility to reapply for admission to the Institute for a period of three years.

11. APPEAL : If the delinquent student is aggrieved by the imposition of any of the
aforementioned penalties, he/she may appeal to the Pro-Vice Chancellor who may after
affording an opportunity of hearing the student, may :

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 1. Retain the punishment imposed;
2. Refer the case back to the committee for reconsideration.

In any case the decision of the Pro-Vice Chancellor shall be final and binding.

12. GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL COMMITTEE :

Any student of the Institute aggrieved by any acts not relating to Ragging or Sexual
Harassment, may approach the Grievance Redressal Cell of the Institute.

13. STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE :

Students are the substantial stake holders of this Institute. Various Codes, Policies
and Procedures contained morefully hereinabove both administrative and academic
areas are to deal with issues relating to the students. The Institute hence considers
expedient to encourage student participation in any amendment to this Code of
Conduct. The Students are free to submit such proposal for amendment to the
Registrar which shall be duly considered during the following meeting of the Board
of Management.

14. ADOPTION & PUBLICATION :

a. This Code of Conduct shall be adopted from the date of Resolution to such effect by
the Board of Management of the Institute.
b. The Code of Conduct shall from effective date of its adoption be publicised in
conspicuous places in the Institute, every School of the Institute and its Website.
15. AMENDMENT :
The Institute shall amend any provision contained in this Code prospectively. No
amendment shall be deemed effective unless approved by the Board of Management
of the Institute by a Resolution.

Date : 06.04.2023 REGISTRAR

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