E-Paper
Poster controversy: Probe panel at IIT Mandi recommends counselling, sensitisation of students
The committee found “no evidence of any intention to target, insult or hurt any individual or community and observed that provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, were not attracted in the case”
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Facing backlash after the display of a controversial poster on the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi campus, depicting a caste-based hierarchy, the three-member committee recommended counselling and sensitisation of the students.
Implementing the recommendations, the IIT Mandi will frame rules and guidelines for campus events and establish a mechanism to oversee them. The issue gained traction after a social media user on X shared a poster titled “Bhagavad Gita – The Timeless Wisdom” that listed social groups as “Brahmanas,” “Kshatriyas,” “Vaishyas” and “Shudras” after which a three-member committee was constituted by the institute.
The committee found “no evidence of any intention to target, insult or hurt any individual or community and observed that provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, were not attracted in the case”. It recommended counselling and sensitisation of the students concerned instead of disciplinary proceedings, while also pointing to the absence of a defined procedure for organising such events on campus.
IIT Mandi has clarified that a poster displayed during a student-organised Janmashtami programme on the campus on September 4, 2026, had caused hurt to members of the community, and the institute regretted and empathised with those affected. The institute said it is committed to equality, social justice and a campus free from discrimination.
After learning about the matter, the director constituted a three-member enquiry committee, with the reservation cell also associated with the proceedings.
The committee found that the event was not organised by IIT Mandi and no officially recognised student body was involved; no institute funds were used, with expenses met through voluntary contributions. It also found that the poster had neither been reviewed nor approved by any institute authority and reflected an individual student’s interpretation rather than the institute’s views.
