New Delhi [India], January 26 : A conference on caste and race organised at IIT Delhi earlier this month has triggered sharp criticism over its content and choice of speakers, following which the institute has constituted a fact-finding committee and assured appropriate action in line with institutional protocols.
The conference, titled "Critical Philosophy of Caste and Race", was organised by the Critical Philosophy of Caste and Race (CPCR), a research study group functioning under the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Delhi.
Details of the agenda and speakers were widely circulated on social media, with several users alleging that radical activists were invited to present what they described as a "single-sided view on caste." One of the sessions, which reportedly compared the situation of Dalits in India with that of Palestinians, drew sharp backlash from multiple quarters.
IIT faculty member Divya Dwivedi was among the organisers of the conference. She has previously been at the centre of controversies over her remarks on caste, Hinduism and majoritarian politics.
Responding to the criticism, IIT Delhi said it has sought an explanation from the concerned faculty member and set up a committee to examine the matter.
"Serious concerns have been raised over the choice of speakers and content of the 'Critical Philosophy of Caste and Race' conference held from January 16 to 18. The Institute has sought an explanation from the concerned faculty, and a fact-finding committee with independent members has been constituted to investigate the concerns," IIT Delhi said in a post on X.
"Appropriate actions will be initiated in accordance with institutional protocols, based on the committee's findings. The Institute remains committed to national goals, academic integrity and established institutional guidelines," it added.
Weighing in on the issue, former CBI Director M. Nageswara Rao demanded that the CPCR be disbanded and disciplinary action be taken against the faculty and staff involved.
He alleged that the group was engaged in "anti-national and destabilising activities."
"This group appears to be part of an anti-Hindu deep state initiative aimed at undermining national unity. It has been organising conferences and related events since at least 2024, all taking place within IIT Delhi under your direct oversight as Director," Rao said in a post on X.
"You have constituted a fact-finding committee focused narrowly on the choice of speakers and similar procedural issues, seemingly to deflect criticism and cover up these activities," he added.
Social media users also criticised premier technical institutions for hosting such events. One user on X wrote that instead of focusing on innovation in areas such as AI, robotics, semiconductors, or jet engine technology, institutions like IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay were organising what the user termed "caste and race woke nonsense."