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Over a week aft a league was held astatine the Indian Institute Of Technology-Delhi connected ‘Critical Philosophy of Caste and Race’, the institute has decided to analyse “serious concerns” raised astir its “content” and “choice of speakers”, the institute said successful a connection connected Monday (January 26, 2026).
In its statement, posted astatine 1:23 a.m., IIT-Delhi noted that the league was held from January 16 to January 18, adding it had sought an mentation from the “faculty concerned”. The institute stated that it had besides established a fact-finding committee comprising “independent members” to analyse the concerns raised astir the conference.
Government sources said that the institute had taken cognisance of complaints astir the organising faculty, speakers astatine the conference, and its docket connected societal media.
Users connected societal media criticised IIT-Delhi, calling the league “woke nonsense”, asking wherefore a “technological institute” was organising specified an lawsuit astatine all, erstwhile IITs “should beryllium holding discussions astir AI”. Some users besides took contented with lectures connected themes like: “What’s communal betwixt Dalits and Palestinians?”
IIT-Delhi Director Rangan Banerjee did not respond to The Hindu’s petition for comment. Administrative officials claimed nary cognition of who had acceptable up this probe sheet oregon who its members were.
The conference, which has been held since 2024, was inaugurated this twelvemonth by erstwhile UGC Chairperson Sukhadeo Thorat. This year, the taxable of the league was to sermon “Indian contributions to combating caste and racism” successful the discourse of marking 25 years of the 2001 Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), adopted astatine the UN World Conference against Racism successful South Africa.
It had scholars from astir the satellite connected assorted sheet discussions and lectures, including Gail Omvedt, Shailaja Paik, Suryakant Waghmore, Paul Divakar, and galore more.
The league was organised by Professor Divya Dwivedi, IIT-Delhi, and Sowjanya Tamalapakula, Associate Professor of Woxsen University successful Hyderabad, supported by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) of IIT-Delhi.
In its connection posted connected X, the institute said, “Appropriate actions volition beryllium initiated successful accordance with organization protocols, based connected the committee’s findings. The Institute remains committed to nationalist goals, world integrity, and established organization guidelines.” Sources added that announcement of the organization enquiry was formally communicated to the organisers connected Sunday night.
However, the institute’s effect to the criticisms astir the league has besides fueled comments from anti-caste activists and scholars, questioning wherefore immoderate captious treatment connected caste was being discouraged. A module subordinate from Kolkata’s Jadavpur University, Subhajit Naskar, called the league “one of the astir important” connected the taxable of caste and race, calling the institute’s effect “outrageous and disturbing”.
