Mumbai: An email circulating on social media has brought renewed attention to anti-discrimination guidelines issued by IIT Bombay in 2023, months after the death of student Darshan Solanki. Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was then Dean of Student Affairs, had released the guidelines. Whether the circulating email is a fresh reiteration of those instructions is yet to be confirmed by IIT Bombay officials.
Guidelines Issued After Darshan Solanki’s Death
Solanki, a first-year BTech student, died in February 2023. His family alleged that he had faced caste discrimination on campus. IIT Bombay’s state that they were first circulated on July 31, 2023.
The guidelines say it is inappropriate to ask fellow students about their caste or admission category. They also discourage questions about JEE Advanced ranks, GATE scores or other details that could reveal a student’s social background, noting that even questions asked out of curiosity can lead to bias or be perceived as discriminatory.
The institute further prohibits abusive, hateful, casteist or sexist messages and jokes, as well as communication involving harassment or bullying. The restriction covers conversations in person and messages shared through platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and email. Violations, the guidelines warn, can lead to severe punishment.
The circulation of the email has again drawn attention to the institute’s stated rules on caste discrimination. IIT Bombay officials have yet to confirm the email’s authenticity, when it was sent, or whether it was intended as a reminder of the 2023 guidelines.
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