In response to recent findings by the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC) regarding the implementation of reservation policies in recruitment and PhD admissions, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has contested the accuracy of the reported figures.
Addressing allegations, IIT Bombay has denied assertions of inaccuracies in faculty recruitment from reserved categories. This rebuttal comes amidst rising concerns about representation and inclusivity in academic institutions, particularly regarding recruitment from reserved categories.
In a recent statement on X, IIT Bombay clarified: "The correct figures are: 27 SC, 6 ST, 29 OBC NC, 1 EWS have been offered positions since 2021. Many have already joined, while some are yet to commence. We are still in the process of interviewing candidates for certain departments."
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In response to this official statement, the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC) at IIT Bombay stated, "We did not compile this data. This information was provided by @iitbombay in their official RTI response to our queries. Are you suggesting that @iitbombay misrepresented the facts in their official RTI response?"
The revelation has sparked criticism from students, who argue that such lopsided recruitment violates the reservation policy for central universities, which mandates quotas for SCs, STs, and OBCs. The institute's struggles with achieving diversity extend to its PhD programs, where marginalised students face challenges in enrolment. In 2023, several departments admitted no ST scholars, while others saw limited representation of SC and OBC candidates.
Recently, the institute also addressed social media concerns about placements, countering reports claiming that 36% of the current batch remains unplaced, asserting that only 6.1% of students are actively seeking employment. IIT Bombay shared results from an exit survey conducted on the graduating students of 2022-23 on X (formerly Twitter), inviting scrutiny of their findings.
