IIT Bombay bars questions on caste, JEE ranks as student protests intensify

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) has reiterated its anti-discrimination guidelines, advising students, faculty members and staff against asking students about their caste, admission category or entrance examination ranks. The guidelines, circulated through an email by the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs late Tuesday, state that questions about a student’s caste, birth or admission category, JEE Advanced rank or GATE score may create conscious or subconscious bias and adversely affect the individual.“While the person asking the question may feel it is innocent, and it may be driven purely by curiosity, asking the question can often have an adverse impact on the other student,” a statement on the email read.The institute has emphasised that even questions asked out of curiosity can be perceived as attempts to identify a student’s caste background. It has encouraged members of the campus community to build relationships through shared interests, including academics, sports, music, hobbies and hometowns. ‘COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION’IIT Bombay has reiterated its commitment to implementing the Constitution’s reservation policy in letter and spirit, while ensuring equal opportunities for all students irrespective of caste, religion or socio-economic background.The guidelines also prohibit the circulation of abusive, hateful, casteist or sexist messages, as well as content promoting religious prejudice or discrimination based on sexual orientation. Such conduct, whether online or in person, may invite disciplinary action, the institute said.- Ends