A prominent professor, Pravesh Biyani, who has spent 22 years closely observing and 14 years teaching within the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT) systems, asserts he has never once witnessed a teacher discriminate against a student based on caste.
Professor Biyani's Experience and Observations
Biyani, who completed his BTech at IIT Bombay and PhD at IIT Delhi, shared his perspective on social media platform X. He emphasized that throughout his extensive tenure, the issue of caste-based discrimination by faculty has simply not materialized in his experience. "I've been a professor for 14 years now. In 22 years of watching the IIT/IIIT system closely, I have never once witnessed a teacher discriminate against a student on the basis of caste," he wrote.
Student Life and Caste Awareness
Recalling his own time as a student at IIT Bombay, Biyani noted that caste was rarely a topic of discussion among peers. "During my BTech, most of us had no idea what caste our batchmates belonged to," he stated. He added that many of his close friends were from Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) backgrounds, and their caste never influenced conversations or decisions. He also observed that terms like "Brahmanical patriarchy" were not prevalent during his student years, indicating a different academic and social climate then.
Teaching Philosophy and Equal Treatment
As an educator, Biyani maintains a policy of treating all students equally. "Often I don't know their name at all - some of my classes have 300+ students. We treat them all the same," he explained, highlighting that a student's identity is not a factor in providing assistance or instruction. He also affirmed that his interactions with colleagues and his own professors reflected the same absence of caste-based bias.
Context: IIT Bombay Student's Tragic Death
Professor Biyani's comments emerge in the wake of the death of Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a second-year BTech student in IIT Bombay's Energy Science and Engineering department. Wakode was found deceased in his hostel room on the Powai campus. This tragedy occurred hours after he was reportedly caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.
Family Allegations and Police Investigation
Wakode's family has vehemently alleged institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination as factors contributing to his death. These serious allegations have prompted protests on campus, with students claiming Wakode faced intense pressure and threats of academic suspension. Consequently, Powai police registered an FIR under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (abetment of suicide) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, based on the parents' complaint. The case has since been transferred to the Crime Branch, which is expected to summon involved individuals, including a professor, for questioning. IIT Bombay has also removed Prof Suryanarayana Doolla as Dean (Administrative Affairs), who is named as an accused in the case.
IIT Bombay's Response
IIT Bombay, however, has presented a different account, stating that Wakode had allegedly uploaded the exam paper to ChatGPT for answers during the test. The institute clarified that no disciplinary action was initiated against him. According to the institute, the instructor and Head of Department had counseled Wakode, assuring him that the incident would not negatively impact his academic career. He reportedly returned to his hostel room shortly before his body was discovered.
Biyani also expressed concern that social media has "now filled vulnerable students' heads with a lot of manufactured grievance about caste discrimination that, in my experience, doesn't exist."