IIT alumnus seeks impartial probe, opposes action against Prof Doolla
Citing media reports, he said 4,804 of the 12,498 sanctioned faculty posts across 23 IITs were vacant as of January 30, 2026, and noted that IIT Kharagpur had a faculty vacancy rate of 51.3%.
Kulkarni said the exact reasons behind Wakode’s death must be investigated independently and accountability established. He said no action should be taken against Doolla, whom he described as having “stellar academic credentials” and receiving several honours and awards, unless the probe establishes his guilt. Referring to suicides by students across higher educational institutions, Kulkarni said the reasons behind such deaths vary and argued that caste should not automatically become the basis for fixing guilt on people belonging to so-called “upper castes”. He described such an approach as “reverse casteism” and said a wider national debate was needed to reform the SC/ST Act, which he claimed had been widely misused. Kulkarni questioned whether action against a faculty member for carrying out duties according to institutional rules could create fear among teachers. “If a conscientious faculty member is punished simply for carrying out one’s duty as per the Institute’s principles and guidelines, doesn’t it instil fear across the entire faculty community?” he wrote. He further said every effort should be made to counter casteism and communalism while preserving an intellectual environment that encourages critical thinking and respects diverse ideas.
He also called for the case against Doolla under the SC/ST Act to be withdrawn. He also raised concerns about stress among faculty members, pointing to vacancies in IITs.
Kulkarni Critiques Election Commission’s TMC Decision
In a recent post, Kulkarni criticized the Election Commission’s ruling regarding the Trinamool Congress (TMC). He suggested that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar should align with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), disband all opposition parties, and freeze their electoral symbols. Kulkarni’s provocative statement implied that this would lead to a scenario where only one party would contest elections, ultimately guaranteeing a single winner.