Caste and the IITs: What ‘quota students’ experience on campus,

Caste and the IITs: What ‘quota students’ experience on campus

IIT students from marginalised sections face derogatory remarks, ‘subtle discrimination’. Activists say IITs need robust student organisations.

IIT Kharagpur
Atul Krishna 

| Jul 18, 2021 - 12:05 p.m. IST

NEW DELHI: India’s most hallowed engineering institutions, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), are known for high-quality teaching, research and enviable placements. But that’s not the only face Swaminathan K saw. He was a research scholar at IIT Madras till 2018 and a founding member of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle at IIT Madras.
Recommended : Get important details about IIT Madras. Download Brochure

According to him, IIT staff and students who labelled reserved category students had scant understanding of the historical marginalisation they’ve had to overcome to get to an IIT.

The IITs have a problem of caste discrimination which is being thrown into sharp relief with increasing frequency. In July, a resignation letter emerged from IIT Madras’ humanities and social science department alleging caste discrimination by senior faculty and administration. The letter suggests that the IIT set up “a committee to study the experiences of SC and OBC faculty”.

In April, Seema Singh, a teacher in the humanities and social science department of IIT Kharagpur, was heard hurling abuses at a class composed mainly of students from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in an English class in a video that soon became viral. IIT Kharagpur eventually suspended Singh but only after massive public outcry.
Also Read | How IIT Madras’ ‘happiness course’ helps students cope with stress

“You won’t see it in day-to-day interactions. When something happens it will be visible. There is a saying in Tamil, you will only see it once you scratch the surface,” said Swaminathan K.

‘Quota students’ at the IITs

The most pernicious form of discrimination students experience at the IITs is the subtle but oft-repeated suggestion that they are less capable than others.

“Students have told me that teachers have called students “quota students” to berate them,” said a student at
IIT Madras.

Central policy mandates reservation of seats or “quotas” for the historically-marginalised communities in all public institutions – 15% for Scheduled Castes (SC), 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and 27% for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and from 2019, 10% for the upper caste poor, or Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Apart from fee waivers or concessions, these groups are admitted at scores lower than those of “general category” applicants in the highly competitive entrance tests for engineering, Joint Entrance Examination Main (JEE Main) and JEE Advanced.

Students said that many students and faculty oppose reservation without understanding the historical marginalisation faced by these communities.

“A research scholar who graduated from a government school and did his postgraduate studies from IIT Madras came back to do research there and the board remarked in surprise that a government school student was making it to the IITs and then applying for research,” said a former student requesting not to be named. “That is the kind of attitude that is prevalent.”

Also Read | Engineering Colleges: 1,500 teachers in backward areas may lose jobs

It is equally prevalent among upper caste students admitted to the open seats. “Many people would ask about my caste because, unlike in north India, in Tamil Nadu, you cannot identify one’s caste by name,” said Swaminathan.

Students said that caste-related discrimination in the IITs is a deep-rooted problem that cannot be solved just by setting up anti-discrimination
committees.

IIT Preparatory classes

The IITs have offered academic support mainly in the form of preparatory classes for Dalit and Adivasi students. Opinion is divided on these.

“The faculty says that there are differences in the level of understanding. Even if you ask the students, some might say that the course is actually helpful. But the other side of this issue is that it promotes the idea that students from lower castes are not up to the mark. That mindset is there,” said a former student.

“We are unsure about those courses,” added another student. “Some students have found them really helpful but there is this perspective that it is only being provided to students of these communities based on a certain mindset,” said a student. That the possible learning deficit is itself a result of marginalisation from education over generations is not well understood.

Also Read | AICTE reduces PM scholarship amount; Jammu and Kashmir students struggle

However, after classes moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IITs were some of the first institutions to make efforts to close the digital divide between students. Funds were marshalled from alumni and other donations and students were provided digital devices and loans, even for paying rent.

“The administration did take proactive steps by providing smartphones and loaning money, even for paying rent, to the students. It is hard to say whether all students were provided, for there are some 8,000 students here but they did take steps in this regard,” said a student.

Caste controversies on campus

IIT Madras has had its share of caste controversies. In 2006, when the government proposed reservation for OBCs, thousands of IIT Madras students protested, arguing that the quota would “affect merit” in the IITs, students recalled.

Swaminathan and some others formed APSC in 2014 in response to what they saw as growing “polarisation” on campus before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The group’s stand on caste was clear from the presence of BR Ambedkar, Dalit leader who shaped the Indian Constitution, in its name. IIT Madras promptly banned the group following an “anonymous complaint” that alleged that it was instigating “hatred” and criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ban was revoked following public criticism. Subsequently, many IIT campuses started their own iterations of the cell.

Four years later, in 2019, IIT Madras again drew national attention when an undergraduate student Fathima Latheef died by suicide on campus. Latheef’s parents had alleged that their daughter took her own life due to constant casteist remarks from one of the professors.

Also Read | ‘It’s a meat-grinder’: Stress and despair at the IITs

In addition to a narrow, decontextualized view of “merit”, the IITs also harbour a paternalistic view of the student community. In 2016, following the attack on Jawaharlal Nehru University that led to the arrest of several student leaders, including Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid, 56 professors of IIT Madras wrote to the President saying that “young, simple-minded, (many-a-times) poor students entering the campus are seen as fodder for the ideological war of their mentors”.

“This is the kind of attitude they carry, said Swaminathan. “They think students should not protest, or be political. They think that students from poor households are more prone to this
[such activism].”

In December 2020, a government panel consisting of several IIT directors recommended that IITs be exempt from faculty reservation. The government is yet to take a decision.

Complaints and committees

As with many other central institutions, the IITs have committees to investigate complaints or allegations of discrimination. Students Careers360 spoke to were not sure about their work.

“There is an SC/ST liaison officer and a faculty adjunct that students can approach,” said a student wishing not to be named. “These have been there for years but I don’t think students are aware of the activities of these committees. We don’t know what kind of work they do or whether they are even supposed to do something proactively or are there just to address issues.”

However, some believe that the issue of discrimination is too deep-rooted to be solved by a functioning grievance redress mechanism. “We can come up with various measures such as setting up discrimination cells and spreading awareness, but these problems are part of the Indian culture. Every Indian university is dominated by upper castes. It is the historical background of the country. The socio-cultural situation is such,” said a former student.

Also Read | ‘Be strong’: IIT Delhi’s COVID-positive students make video on life in isolation

Other students and alumni pointed out that even if students faced discrimination, they wouldn’t feel empowered enough to complain. They would be too afraid of the consequences of displeasing the administration. “The IIT Kharagpur incident came out because there was strong evidence, otherwise it would have been brushed under the carpet,” said the same student. Since the IIT Kharagpur class was online, the teacher could be recorded.

What is needed urgently, said the students, is a student organisation that’s independent of the administration. They said: “Even if a committee is effective in its functioning, unless a student organisation is there, this cannot
be addressed.”

Write to us at news@careers360.com.

IIT-K May Revoke Thesis of Prof Who Had Flagged Caste-based Discrimination,

IIT-K May Revoke Thesis of Prof Who Had Flagged Caste-based Discrimination

The decision comes days after the Academic Ethics Cell found no significant reason to revoke the thesis and recommended rewriting of a few paras.

Ravi Kaushal
01 Apr 2019



Image for representational use only.Image Courtesy : NDTV

Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur may revoke the Ph.D thesis of Dalit teacher Subrahmanyam Saderla, who had complained about the discriminatory treatment from four senior professors last year. The latest move by senate committee – the highest decision-making committee on academic affairs comprising all faculty members of the institute – comes days after the Academic Ethics Cell found no significant reason to revoke the thesis and recommended rewriting of a few paras.

Saderla had made it to news last year when he had complained that he was meted out with discriminatory treatment from four senior professors: Ishan Sharma, Sanjay Mittal, Rajeev Shekhar and Chandra Shekhar Upadhyay from the institute. He had alleged that they were fanning misinformation and were raising questions on his credentials.

In his complaint, Saderla had alleged that the accused professors not only passed casteist remarks about him, but also questioned his mental fitness to be an assistant professor at the “prestigious” institute. The complaint added that he was continuously ridiculed and humiliated at the conferences organised by the department.

The recommendations of the senate are likely to be placed before the Board of Governors for further action soon. The complaint about plagiarism in Saderla's Ph.D thesis was made to several professors and officials in an anonymous email on October 15 last year, months after an inquiry committee headed by a retired Allahabad High Court Judge found allegations levelled by Saderla to be true. Following inquiry, Mittal, Sekhar and Upadhyay were demoted, whereas Sharma was given a strict warning.

Also read: IIT Kanpur Case Tip of the Iceberg: Dalits Missing from Campus in Absence Support System

If the Board of Governors give nod to the recommendation, Saderla may also lose his job.

He has completed his B.Tech from the Institute of Aeronautical Engineering affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad. He later enrolled in IIT Kanpur to complete his M.Tech and Ph.D. Following allegations of plagiarism, IIT director Abhay Karandikar had referred the matter to Academic Ethics Cell which found that complaint was prima facie correct.

The committee noted that while there was no complaint regarding original research work, there were some similarities in the introductory passages of some chapters. The committee, in its report, found that it was not proper to revoke the thesis, but Saderla should rewrite the passages in question and tender an apology to the institute director. However, the senate, in its meeting, on March 14 voted to revoke the thesis.

Talking to Newsclick, Saderla claimed that he did not copy any literature from other people's work. He said," There was some similarity in the introductory literature and I had shown my work to my seniors who had said that my work was entirely different from theirs. Secondly, I have eight publications to my credit in international journals related to my thesis only. Can journals publish them if they carried any plagiarism? I have got national fellowships from South Korean Universities which in turn are also related to my thesis. Had they not evaluated it before granting me such fellowships?"

He added, "The senate has relied on an anonymous complaint. Why did not complainant come to testify his claims. It's a serious charge. I repeat that the latest proceedings are connected with my complaint regarding four professors. I was the sole SC candidate who was selected through a special recruitment drive and that's why I am being targetted."

Despite repeated attempts, IIT Director could not be reached for his comment.

Also read: IIT Kanpur Case Sheds Light on Discrimination Faced by Dalit Professors and Students in IITs

IIT Madras: Social Justice Down the Drain, Nobody Held Accountable,

IIT Madras: Social Justice Down the Drain, Nobody Held Accountable

Two weeks back, NCSC sent a notice to IIT Madras based on a complaint by an activist that reservation policies were not followed during faculty recruitment conducted last year.

Sruti MD
16 Jul 2021



Ten days after an Assistant Professor resigned from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras citing caste discrmination, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) visited IIT Madras on July 12. 

Two weeks back, NCSC sent a notice to IIT Madras based on a complaint by an activist that reservation policies were not followed during faculty recruitment conducted last year.

However, representatives of NCSC said that their visit to IIT Madras was part of their routine and not specific to any recent happenings.

These are not the first instances of IIT Madras making news for alleged discrimination and for accusations of scuttling reservations.

In May 2017, a student was brutally attacked on campus allegedly for consuming beef, and the institute took no stance condemning the violence. 

After Fathima Lateef, a first year student died by suicide in November 2019, fingers were pointed at faculty members for alleged discrimination based on her religion. The institute yet again took no measures to mete out justice or prevent such incidents in future.

IIT Madras has been repeatedly criticised for being an exclusively elitist academic space. The Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes Cell meant to overlook the reservation process for student, faculty and staff recruitment is missing on campus; the case is similar with other IITs and nobody is held accountable for it.

BLATANT DISCRIMINATION DURING INTAKE

Members of ChintaBar, a student group at IIT Madras, say that reservations are more or less fulfilled in the Bachelors courses, but not in the Masters and research programmes.

Sai Chandan, a member of ChintaBar said, “Intake for the B Tech programme is through the centralised admission process of IIT-JEE, but for MS and PhD it is department specific and the departments are not transparent. They have the space for overriding reservations and they do it.” Students allege that for masters and research programmes, faculty members and authorities are directly involved and that influences the implementation of reservations.

Also read: Centre-Appointed Panel’s Proposal to Exempt IITs From Reservation in Faculty Posts is Faulty

Chandan further added, “The institute does not declare the number of available and category-wise division of seats for MS and PhD programmes and the admission criteria is also not fully revealed.”

Elaborating on how the discrimination takes place during admission, Kiran Kumar Gowd, president of the All India OBC Students’ Association, said, “Wherever there is an interview followed by exams, SC, ST and OBC students are clearing without category in the exams, but they are bracketed off in category during the interview or not provided admissions.” This apparently reveals the disparity in Bachelors, and Masters and research programmes.

FACULTY REMAINS ALOOF

A recent RTI has revealed that SC students numbered only 7.6% and STs were just 1.2% between 2015 and 2019 in IIT Madras. The reservation policy requires that 15% of seats be allocated to SCs and 7.5% to STs. However, only 167 of the 5,855 SC applicants and 27 of the 991 ST applicants were selected.

A PhD scholar from IIT Madras, who wanted to remain anonymous said, “When we ask for explanations for why reservations are not implemented, the authorities give an easy excuse of lack of applicants, but the RTI clearly shows the bias.”

Only student groups have raised the issue, but there has been silence from the side of the faculty members of IIT Madras regarding the laxity in implementing reservations in the admission process.

Also watch: 'IITs, IIMs and Central Universities Dominated by Upper Castes'

The PhD scholar also said, “There are few faculty members who stand by the cause, but they hesitate to come out openly and fight the administration. The majority of them are with the authorities or remain aloof.”

But, not implementing caste-based reservations is not only with student admissions, it is the norm with the teaching and non-teaching staff recruitment as well.

A recent RTI revealed that none of the 22 IITs have more than six teachers belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) community, while 18 of them have 10 or less candidates from the Scheduled Castes (SC) category on their faculty rolls. In July 2019, former Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said that the sanctioned strength of faculty in all the 23 IITs was 8,856, of which 2,813 positions were vacant.

PRESSURE TO SET UP SC, ST AND OBC CELL

PhD scholars from IIT Delhi carried out an online petition through Change.org demanding the setting up of permanent SC, ST, and OBC committees in IITs across the country.

In the report submitted by members of ChintaBar to NCSC representatives as well, they strongly demanded for the setting up of the SC, ST and OBC Cell.

The Cell is to overlook the reservation process at all levels of the institute - student, teaching and non-teaching staff.

As per the UGC, every institute of higher education must have a SC,ST and OBC Cell, and the objectives of the Cell are to implement the reservation policy in the universities and colleges, and continuously monitor and evaluate the reservation policy.

Kiran Kumar said, “Authorities are in-charge of ensuring proper admissions with reservations, but they do not set up the Cell that is meant for ensuring reservations. There is no punishment for Vice Chancellors and Chairmans who violate it.”

He added, “The Modi-government is saying that it has incorporated so many SCs and STs in the cabinet, but on ground nothing is being implemented. What is the point?”

Also read: IIT-K May Revoke Thesis of Prof Who Had Flagged Caste-based Discrimination

IIT-Madras professor resigns alleging ‘multiple instances’ of caste-based discrimination

IIT-Madras professor resigns alleging ‘multiple instances’ of caste-based discrimination

Assistant professor Vipin Veetil's resignation comes only two days after NCSC pulled up IIT-Madras for not hiring enough candidates to fill SC/ST/OBC vacancies for teaching positions.

SONIYA AGRAWAL 

2 July, 2021 2:34 pm IST

Vipin P. Veetil, Assistant Professor of Economics at IIT-Madras, who has tendered his resignation | 

Photo: hss.iitm.ac.in

New Delhi: An assistant professor of economics at Indian Institute of Technology-Madras has resigned from his post alleging incidents of caste-based discrimination at the premier educational institution.

Professor Vipin P. Veetil’s resignation email, which is now public, reads: 

“There were multiple specific instances of discrimination and I shall be pursuing appropriate action to address it…. One of the curious phenomena I have observed here is that the Bayesian prior among many is that caste discrimination is a rare occurrence. My own experience, and conservation with members of SC and OBC communities, suggests that the prior is far from true.”


The professor from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT-M claimed that while discrimination comes in several forms, it comes from people in position of power and irrespective of gender and their claimed political affiliations.

ThePrint reached Veetil through mail, text messages and phone calls, but he remained unavailable for a comment.

IIT-M refused to comment on the issue. Its official response emailed to ThePrint said: “The Institute has no comments on this email. Any complaint received by the Institute from employees and students is attended to promptly through the established process of redressing grievances.”

ChintaBAR, an independent student group at the institute, meanwhile, reiterated its demand for setting up of SC/ST and OBC cells for grievance redressal, and that an inquiry be conducted into the matter raised by Veetil.

A statement issued by the group read: “ChintaBAR has been demanding the setting up of functioning SC,ST and OBC cells in the institute and for expanding the scope of grievance redressal mechanism established at the department level to address the issues of discrimination, harassment etc…”

It added: “We reiterate our previous demands and also demand that the administration and the concerned authorities conduct an inquiry in a time bound manner into the matter of resignation of the said faculty member.”

Speaking on the issue, National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman Vijay Sampla said: “As of now we haven’t received any formal request from anyone but we are looking into the matter. Steps will be taken to help the aggrieved professor soon.”

Also read: UGC directs central, state universities to fill up vacant SC, ST & OBC staff posts

NCSC pulled up IIT-M over SC/ST/OBC hiring

Veetil’s resignation letter comes only two days after the NCSC pulled up the institute for not hiring enough candidates for the SC/ST/OBC vacancies for teaching positions.

Over the last few years, IIT-Madras has been in the news for allegations of discriminatory practices and poor grievance redressal of such victims. The suicide death of student Fathima Latheef in 2019 brought the issue of caste-based discrimination at the institute to the fore.

After the suicide, then NCSC chief Swaraj Vidhwan had said in a statement SC/ST students and faculty were facing mental harassment and discrimination. She had ordered an inquiry into the matter.

In 2020, a report in The Hindu said the acceptance rate of SC/ST students at IIT-M was much lower than stipulated by law. It said: “The data showed that SC students numbered only 7.6% and STs were just 1.2%. The reservation policy requires that 15% of seats be allocated to SCs and 7.5% to STs.”

Also read: IIT Madras report on Fathima Latheef suicide ‘silent on religious discrimination’

Death of young executive leaves kin shell-shocked

Death of young executive leaves kin shell-shocked

M.P. Praveen
KOCHI , JULY 02, 2021 19:27 IST

The body of the project associate with IIT Madras was found near a hockey stadium on the campus

On Thursday afternoon when they had a video chat with their young son in Chennai, Reghu R. and Sheeba Reghu never thought that it was the last time they would be seeing him alive.

So, when the devastating news of the death of their elder son Unnikishnan Nair, a project associate with IIT Madras, reached them at their apartment at Kakkanad just hours later in the night, they were shell-shocked. His body was found near a hockey stadium on the campus. “It was a rather desolate place,” said a cousin who had rushed to Chennai following the tragedy.

The emotional trauma worsened when the working parents were told that it was a suspected case of suicide. A note reportedly running into 11 pages has emerged since then, and it painted the image of a youngster under immense stress.

“His parents were about to visit him this weekend, and they had talked about it during the video call on Thursday. They had no clue that he was under so much stress to have thought of taking the extreme step,” said the cousin of the deceased. 

People who had known the victim remembered him as a confident youngster who could never have taken the extreme step. And, they still cannot believe that he has chosen to end his life though the note painted a different story.

A mechanical engineering graduate from the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), Unnikrishnan had joined IIT Madras earlier this year. He had last visited home in March.

For Mr. Reghu, an alumnus of IIT Madras, the return to his alma mater could not have been more tragic. He serves as a senior scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation and his wife Ms. Sheeba is employed with an IT company. Their younger son is now in Standard 10.

The body was taken to their ancestral home at Ettumanoor.

Helpline number - 0484-2540530

Charred body of research scholar found in IIT-Madras, police suspect suicide,

Charred body of research scholar found in IIT-Madras, police suspect suicide

The police have retrieved an 11-page suicide note, purportedly written by the scholar Unnikrishnan Nair, in which he spoke about stress at the workplace.


PICXY.COM/SRIDHAR
NEWS DEATH FRIDAY, JULY 02, 2021 - 12:46




TNM Staff Follow @thenewsminute


A research scholar who worked as a project associate at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) was found dead on the campus on Thursday evening. The scholar has been identified as 30-year old Unnikrishnan Nair, a resident of Ernakulam district in Kerala, and the police suspect he could have died by suicide, as they have retrieved an 11-page note, purportedly written by him, from the campus premises.





“On July 1 at 6.15 pm, Dr Raju, a sports officer, came to the hockey field with his teammates and saw the body of a 30-year-old unidentified man lying half-thrown on the field,” the police said in a statement issued on Friday, July 2. According to the police, Unnikrishnan was a native of Ernakulam in Kerala, and worked as a temporary project staff employee at IIT-Madras. According to the police, he has left an 11-page suicide note in which he wrote about stress at the workplace. The suicide note did not have a reference to any individual in particular.

According to a statement from the Kotturpuram police, the deceased had been staying in Velachery with two others. His father, Raghu, works as a research scientist at ISRO.Featured Videos from TNM

IIT- Madras has condoled the scholar’s death, saying that it was an unfortunate and tragic incident. In a statement issued on Friday morning, IIT-Madras said, "The project staff whose body was found had joined the institute in April 2021 and was living outside the campus. We are shocked and deeply grieved, and convey our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the departed soul. The police are investigating the incident and the Institute is fully cooperating with the authorities.”





The police have registered a case under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (investigation into a case of suicide).

The scholar’s body has been kept at a government hospital in Chennai. An autopsy would be conducted after his family arrives in Chennai.

***



If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.

Tamil Nadu

State health department's suicide helpline: 104

Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)

Andhra Pradesh

Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930

Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584

Karnataka

Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222

Kerala

Maithri: 0484 2540530

Chaithram: 0484 2361161

Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.

Telangana

State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104

Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200

SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 amd and 7 pm)




Aasara offers support to inidviduals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.

24x7 Helpline: 9820466726

Click here for working helplines across India.

Engineer, 22, Found Dead On IIT Madras Campus, Police Suspect Suicide

Engineer, 22, Found Dead On IIT Madras Campus, Police Suspect Suicide

The body has been sent to a government hospital for autopsy, news agency ANI reported.

Reported by 

J Sam Daniel Stalin, 

Edited by Arun Nair

Updated: July 02, 2021 1:10 pm IST

The man worked as a project assistant at IIT Madras.

A 22-year-old engineer was found dead inside the campus of IIT Madras in Chennai this morning. Preliminary investigations reveal that the man, who worked as a project assistant, died by suicide.

"The man has been identified as Unnikrishnan. He was on a project at IIT Madras. He has left a note saying he was unable to cope with work," a police official said.

The body was recovered from a hockey stadium at the premier technical institute, news agency PTI reported quoting sources.

The IIT management said the police is investigating the incident and that the institute was fully cooperating with the authorities.

"An unfortunate and tragic incident occurred yesterday at IIT Madras Campus, involving a temporary project staff. The project staff whose body was found had joined the Institute in April 2021 and was living outside the campus," it said in a statement.

"We are shocked and deeply grieved, and convey our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the departed soul," it added.

Chennai: Partially burnt body of lecturer found on IIT Madras campus

Chennai: Partially burnt body of lecturer found on IIT Madras campus
Chennai News


Mirror Now Digital
Updated Jul 02, 2021 | 09:08 IST

The victim identified as Unni Krishnan Nair was found dead near a hockey field at the IIT-Madras campus on Thursday.



A case of suspicious death was filed at Kotturpuram police station. 

 | Photo Credit: Representative Image

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

The victim has been identified as Unni Krishnan Nair, a native of Kerala

He was working as a guest lecturer and project coordinator at IIT Madras

Chennai: The body of a man believed to be in his mid-20s was found at the IIT Madras campus on Thursday. The body was partially burnt.

The victim has been identified as Unni Krishnan Nair. He was working as a guest lecturer cum research scholar at IIT Madras. Preliminary investigation based on circumstantial evidence suggests that it could be a case of suicide as police have found a suicide note from one of his books in his room.

Nair was a native of Kerala and his father worked with ISRO.

The students found the body near the hockey field inside the campus around 8 pm on Thursday.

Cops from the Kotturpuram police station reached the spot and recovered the body. The body shifted to Royapettah Government Hospital for autopsy. Cops say they are waiting for post-mortem report for further investigation in the case.


IIT Madras: Assistant Professor resigns over alleged caste discrimination, letter goes viral

IIT Madras Alumni raises $2M for Covid 19 relief, donates oxygen Concentrators


The skin of the victim's face and some other parts were partially burnt, said police. According to cops, no suspicious material was found near the body.

Meanwhile, IIT-Madras has issued a statement over the scholar's death saying, "An unfortunate and tragic incident occurred (Thursday) yesterday at IIT Madras Campus, involving a temporary project staff. The project staff whose body was found had joined the Institute in April 2021 and was living outside the Campus."

"We are shocked and deeply grieved, and convey our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the departed soul. The police are investigating the incident and the Institute is fully cooperating with the authorities," the institute further said.

IITM & Casteism,

IIT Madras: Assistant Professor resigns over alleged caste discrimination, letter goes viral

Education


Times Now Digital
Updated Jul 02, 2021 | 09:08 IST

IIT Madras Assistant Professor Vipin P Veetil has allegedly resigned from his job over instances of caste discrimination at the premier institute. The resignation letter has gone viral on social media.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

IIT Madras Assistant Professor Vipin P Veetil has resigned from his job citing caste discrimination.

In his alleged resignation email that has gone viral on social media, Vipin has encouraged people who have faced any discrimination to file complaints with the grievance committee .

The letter also suggests that the institute must set up a committee to look after the individual’s cases of caste discrimination.

Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Madras Assistant Professor Vipin P Veetil has allegedly resigned from his post over caste discrimination at the institute. In a letter that has surfaced, the Economics Department faculty has claimed discrimination at the hands of 'individuals in position of power irrespective of their claimed political affiliation and gender.' 

The institute has maintained that all mattters of student and employee grievances .would be attended to promptly as per the process.

In the letter, Veetil states that he faced discrimination from the time he joined the institute ever since he joined the institutes in March 2019. "There were multiple specific instanced of discrimination and I shall be pursuing appropriate actions to address the matter," reads the mail.

The letter also alleges rampant caste discrimination at the institute. "One of the curious phenomena I've observed at the institute is that the Bayesian prior among many is that caste discrimination is rare occurence. My own experience and conversations with members of SC and OBC communities, suggests that the Bayesian prior is far from true," it further reads,

In an effort to handle the situtation, Veetil has encouraged the people in his mail to step up and raise complaints with the grievances committee at the institute and even with the courts. He has also suggested that the institute sets up a committee to study the experience of the SC and OBC faculty members. He has also said that such a committee should also have members from the SC/ ST Commission, OBC Commission and psychologists.

In response to the queries from Times Now, IIT Madras says that 'any complaint received by the institute from employees and students is attended to promptly through the established process of redressing grievances'.The institute has neither denied nor commented on the veracity of the claims. Vipin Veetil has been unreachable ever since the letter went viral on social media.

The mail has promptly gone viral, with people raising concerns over increase in such instances in the country's premier engineering institute. People have also demanded prompt action and some have lauded the professor's efforts.

The instance has eerie callbacks to the suicide of a student Fathima Lateef at the intitute in 2019. Lateef in her suicide note had alleged religious discrimination by the faculty and management.

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சென்னை ஐ.ஐ.டி.யில் தலைவிரித்தாடும் ஜாதி- பணியில் இருந்து வெளியேறுவதாக பேராசிரியர் விபின் கடிதம்

By Mathivanan Maran
Published: July 1 2021, 17:20 [IST]

சென்னை: சென்னை ஐ.ஐ.டியில் ஜாதிய பாகுபாடு தொடர்ந்து தலைவிரித்தாடுவதால் தாம் பணியில் இருந்து வெளியேறுவதாக உதவிப் பேராசிரியர் விபின் புதியதாத் கடிதம் கொடுத்திருப்பது பெரும் பரபரப்பை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது.

நாட்டின் உயர் கல்வி நிறுவனங்களில் ஒன்றான ஐ.ஐ.டியில் கல்வி கற்க வேண்டும்; பணிபுரிய வேண்டும் என்பது பலரது கனவு. இதற்காக மிகப் பெரும் சவால்கள், போராட்டங்களை எதிர்கொண்டு கல்வி கற்கவும் பணிக்காகவும் சென்னை ஐ.ஐ.டிக்குள் நுழைகின்றனர்.

'கணிதப் புலி' முனைவர் வசந்தா கந்தசாமியின் போராட்டத்துக்கு வெற்றி- சென்னை ஐஐடி ஜாதிவெறிக்கு மரண அடி!

ஆனால் சென்னை ஐ.ஐ.டி. நிர்வாகமும் வளாகமும் ஒட்டுமொத்த மனிதகுலத்தில் அன்னியப்படுத்தப்பட்ட ஒரு தீவு தேசமாகவே இருக்கிறது. ஜாதி, வர்க்கம், மதம் என அனைத்திலும் பேதம், ஏற்றத்தாழ்வு பார்க்கிற- இதனடிப்படையில் இழிவு செய்கிற அல்லது ஒடுக்குமுறையை ஏவிவிடுகிற கூட்டத்தின் பிடியில்தான் சென்னை ஐ.ஐ.டி. காலந்தோறும் இருந்து வருகிறது.

பாத்திமாவுக்கு என்னதான் நடந்தது.. செல்போனை ஆன் செய்தவுடன் வந்த மெசேஜ்.. நிஜம் வெளியே வருமா?

குறிப்பிட்ட ஜாதி ஆதிக்கம்

ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட ஜாதியினர் மட்டுமே கல்வி கற்கவும் பணி புரியவுமான கல்வி நிறுவனமாக ஐ.ஐ.டியை குத்தகைக்கு காலந்தோறும் எடுத்துக் கொள்கிற அகம்பாவ மனோபாவம் ஓய்ந்ததே இல்லை. உலகம் போற்றிய கணிதமேதை பேராசிரியர் வசந்தா கந்தசாமி, தான் உயர் ஜாதியை சேர்ந்தவர் இல்லை என்பதாலேயே அவரை பணிக்காலம் முழுவதும் பாடாய்படுத்திய கொடுமை 1990களில் நிகழ்ந்தது.

பேராசிரியர் வசந்தா கந்தசாமி

பேராசிரியர் வசந்தா கந்தசாமிக்காக எத்தனையோ களப் போராட்டங்கள், சட்டப்போராட்டங்கள் நிகழ்ந்தன. இப்படி போராடி போராடி தமக்கான நீதியை பெற்ற வசந்தா கந்தசாமி அம்மையாருக்கு 2006-ம் ஆண்டு மறைந்த முன்னாள் முதல்வர் கருணாநிதி, வீரதீர செயலுக்கான கல்பனா சாவ்லா விருது வழங்கி பெருமைப்படுத்தினார்.

பாத்திமா லத்தீப் மர்ம மரணம்

அதேபோல் ஜாதி, வர்க்க, மத ரீதியான சக ஆதிக்க ஜாதி மாணவர்களின் ஒடுக்குமுறை, அவர்களுடன் கை கோர்க்கும் பேராசிரியர் சமூகம் இவற்றால் சென்னை ஐ.ஐ.டி. வளாகத்தில் நிகழும் தற்கொலைகளில் ஒன்றிரண்டுதான் வெளி உலகத்துக்கு தெரியவருகின்றன. 2 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்னர் மாணவி பாத்திமா லத்தீப் மர்ம மரணம் நாட்டையே உலுக்கி எடுத்தது.

பேராசிரியர் விபின்

இந்த வரிசையில் இப்போது உதவிப் பேராசிரியரான விபின் புதியதாக இணைந்திருக்கிறார். சென்னை ஐ.ஐ.டி. நிர்வாகம், ஜாதி ரீதியான பாகுபாட்டை வெளிப்படுத்திக் கொண்டே இருப்பதால் தம்மால் இங்கு பணிபுரியவே இயலாத நிலை உருவாகிவிட்டது; ஆகையால் தாம் பணியில் இருந்து வெளியேறுகிறேன் என்று இ மெயில் மூலம் சென்னை ஐ.ஐ.டி. நிர்வாகத்துக்கு பேராசிரியர் விபின் கடிதம் அனுப்பியுள்ளார். இந்த சம்பவம் தமிழகம் முழுவதும் பெரும் அதிர்ச்சியை ஏற்படுத்தி உள்ளது.

தமிழ்நாட்டின் அன்றாட நிகழ்வுகள், அரசியல் சம்பவங்கள், சமூகம் சார்ந்த நிகழ்வுகள் மற்றும் பல செய்திகளை சுடச் சுட உங்களுக்கு அளித்து வரும் எங்கள் இணையதளத்தின் புதிய வரவு 

ஒன்இந்தியா தமிழ் டெலிகிராம் சானல்
Published On July 1, 2021
மேலும் சென்னை செய்திகள்