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IIT Bombay reduces penalty for students over controversial play Raahovan
The fine imposed on four graduating students has been revised to ₹60,000 per head; permanent suspension of four junior students has been reduced to six months
Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) has reduced penalties imposed on eight students for staging a controversial play titled Raahovan in the campus on March 31.
The fine imposed on four graduating students has been revised to ₹60,000 per head from the earlier ₹1.2 lakh, whereas the permanent suspension handed out to four junior students has been reduced to six months. The junior students would still have to pay ₹40,000 per head in penalties.
The relaxation in punishments was confirmed by a senior faculty member who requested anonymity.
Raahovan was performed during the institute’s Performance Arts Festival (PAF) but the students had deviated from the script they had submitted to the institute before the performance. Though the creators had claimed that the play aimed to celebrate India’s cultural heritage while also questioning societal norms, a group of students registered a formal complaint saying it included derogatory references to Hindu beliefs, portrayed Ram as a ‘devil’ and had actors playing the roles of Sita, Ram and Laxman using inappropriate language and gestures.
Following these complaints, IIT-B’s disciplinary action committee (DAC) recommended the punitive measures, which were announced in June.
The institute’s action on the students, however, sparked widespread criticism, with many arguing that the punishments were excessively harsh. In response, IIT-B had clarified that no students would be expelled, and the fines would not impact their academic records. The institute had also provided the students with the option of appeal against the decision.
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