Kozhikode: A Kerala college, which is under control of the ruling CPM, has barred its faculty members from befriending students on Facebook.

The principal of M. Dasan Institute Of Technology (Mdit) at Ulliyeri, Kozhikode, issued a circular, which said the management has noticed that teachers had students on their Facebook friend list and asked them not to do so.

“Instance have come to notice of the undersigned that some of our faculty members have face book contact with students eventhough there is clear direction to avoid such contacts. So, all the concerned are directed to abide by the instructions already issued in this regard and to discontinue such practices in future,” (sic) reads the circular.

When contacted, college principal Dr P.T. Rajan Nambiar said, “The management's stance is that teachers need not maintain a friendship when it comes to non-curricular activities. We reiterated this in the latest circular after it came to our notice that some teachers had students as Facebook friends.”

The college, which is in the name of former CPM Kozhikode district secretary late M. Dasan, has about 800 students studying. College unions, including CPM's student wing SFI, have been banned from functioning in the college.