IIT-Bombay has issued anti-discrimination guidelines addressing biases among students, following the recent suicide of a student.
The mail sharing the anti-discrimination guidelines at the institute mentioned that the administration aims to have high inclusivity within the campus and wants students to bond with each other irrespective of caste, religion or socio-economic status.
A section of students who have been protesting at the main gate of the campus for the last 25 days, however, claimed that the guidelines, though agree that discrimination can happen at the hands of the faculty and staff, goes on to instruct only the students’ community. In a counter statement, the students alleged that the guidelines are identical to the ones released by the institute three years ago, after the death by suicide of another student, Darshan Solanki.
Whether faculty members will be instructed in a separate mail is unclear, said the students. “Stop sending template emails with no substance,” they said and asked the institute to initiate a dialogue with students sitting at the main gate. The guidelines mentioned that it is inappropriate for any person (including students, staff, faculty members) to ask their ranks or any other information that could reveal the caste or other related aspects. “While the person asking the question may feel it is innocent… asking the question can often have an adverse impact on the other student. Asking could appear like an attempt to find the caste and may set the stage for discrimination,” it added. Students alleged that faculty members are listed as possible sources of discrimination, but the rules are addressed only to students.