Shama Mohamed questions Gayatri Mantra at IIT convocation; alum says she got it wrong

Shama Mohamed questioned a recitation at IIT Delhi's convocation, calling it the Gayatri Mantra. An IIT Kanpur alumnus disputed that claim, putting factual accuracy at the centre of the secularism debate.Shama Mohamed questions Gayatri Mantra at IIT convocation; alum says she got it wrong (Image: PTI)A controversy over a recitation at IIT Delhi’s 57th Convocation has opened a wider debate over religion and secularism in educational spaces. Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed questioned why the Gayatri Mantra was played at the academic ceremony. But Gyan C Mehta, an IIT Kanpur alumnus and 1968 Physics gold medallist, has disputed that identification, saying what was recited was not the Gayatri Mantra. His response puts the spotlight on a crucial question: did the criticism get the basic facts right?The distinction is important. Mohamed’s argument is that a convocation is an academic, not a religious, event and that educational spaces should remain free of religious slogans or chants. But Gyan C Mehta, an IIT Kanpur alumnus from the 1968 Physics batch and a gold medallist, says the discussion has started with a factual error.“I certainly don't want to pick a fight with your cook, but the fundamental premise of your post is factually incorrect. What is being chanted is not the Gayatri Mantra, not that there is anything wrong with it. As a proud IIT Kanpur alum, it is frustrating to see this,” Mehta said.The exchange has now shifted the focus from a broader question of religion in educational institutions to a much more basic one: what exactly was recited at the IIT Delhi ceremony? WHAT SHAMA MOHAMED SAIDMohamed questioned why the Gayatri Mantra would be played at an IIT convocation, while making it clear that she personally has no objection to hearing it.“My cook plays the Gayatri Mantra every day when he enters my kitchen, and I listen to it every day and like it,” she said. She then questioned its presence at an academic ceremony.“But my question is: Why was the Gayatri Mantra played at an IIT convocation? It wasn’t a religious event. Our educational spaces should be free from religious slogans and chants of all religions,” she said.Her argument, therefore, has two parts: first, that the recitation was the Gayatri Mantra; and second, that such religious recitations should not form part of an academic ceremony. It is the first claim that Mehta has directly disputed.IIT ALUMNUS CHALLENGES THE IDENTIFICATIONMehta’s response is striking because he does not simply reject Mohamed’s secularism argument. Instead, he begins with what he considers a more fundamental problem: the recitation has been wrongly identified.According to Mehta, the words heard during the ceremony were not the Gayatri Mantra.That means the controversy cannot simply be reduced to a political disagreement over whether religious material should be allowed at IITs. Before that debate can be settled, the actual content of the recitation has to be correctly identified.His criticism also carries the perspective of an IIT alumnus who says he is proud of the institution and finds it frustrating to see the ceremony being discussed on the basis of what he considers an incorrect factual premise.WHAT HAPPENED AT IIT DELHI?IIT Delhi held its 57th Convocation on August 8, with more than 3,000 students and 587 PhD scholars present. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the graduating students and urged them to remain curious, question accepted ideas and have the courage to find solutions.The Prime Minister’s address focused overwhelmingly on education, research, technology, innovation and the role of young graduates in India’s future. He spoke about the importance of continued learning, research opportunities, India’s semiconductor ambitions and the contribution of young people to the country’s development.It was against this backdrop of an academic convocation that Mohamed raised her objection.THE LARGER DEBATE OVER RELIGION IN EDUCATIONAL SPACESThere is a legitimate debate over whether religious or traditional invocations should be part of ceremonies at public educational institutions.Mohamed’s broader argument is that academic spaces should remain free from religious slogans and chants of all faiths. That question can be debated independently.But the debate becomes complicated when the recitation at the centre of it is incorrectly identified. The fact that a verse is in Sanskrit does not automatically make it the Gayatri Mantra; Sanskrit is a language with religious, philosophical, cultural and ceremonial uses.That is why Mehta’s objection is significant: before debating whether the recitation belonged at an IIT convocation, the first step is to correctly identify what was recited.BUT FIRST, GET THE FACTS RIGHTMohamed’s broader argument, that educational institutions should remain free from religious slogans and chants of any faith, can be debated. But if the recitation at IIT Delhi was not the Gayatri Mantra, then identifying it as such changes the basis of that debate.The question is not whether Mohamed can raise concerns about religious elements at an IIT ceremony. She can. The key issue is whether she correctly identified what was being recited.That factual distinction is at the heart of Gyan C Mehta’s response.WHY THE DISTINCTION MATTERSPublic debates over religion and secularism can quickly become charged, making factual accuracy especially important. In the IIT Delhi controversy, the key question is simple: was the recitation actually the Gayatri Mantra?Shama Mohamed says it was and questioned its presence at an academic event. IIT Kanpur alumnus Gyan C Mehta disputes that, saying the basic premise is factually incorrect.The broader debate over religion in educational spaces may continue, but it must begin with one basic question: what was actually being recited?- EndsPublished By: Apoorva AnandPublished On: Aug 10, 2026 09:04 IST