The Madurai Kamaraj University was closed down for an indefinite period after talks with students, agitating since eight days protesting against dismissal of two research scholars, failed.
University sources said it has also closed hostels in the university following students' refusal to vacate the campus.
Meanwhile, the police took into custody about 300 students who have been on a sit-in protest in front of the registrar's office.
Students have been agitating against the dismissal of two research scholars and forcing a differently-abled post doctoral fellow to discontinue her research.
The university administration invited students for talks, but negotiations failed due to the adamant attitude of the management, including the registrar and the Vice Chancellor Kalyani Mathivanan, the students claimed.
Students were also agitating against the decision of the syndicate to demote Krishnaswamy, head of the centre for excellence, bioinformatics, as senior information scientist, and barring him from research activities.
The university also suspended M Partharasarathy, secretary of the SC / ST employees welfare association for sending false petitions against the administration.
PTI