Darshan Solanki suicide: IIT Bombay issues guidelines to discourage caste-based discrimination

The guidelines explicitly discourage students from asking personal questions related to caste, birth, admission, or category, as such inquiries may lead to conscious or subconscious bias. Additionally, the guidelines also prohibit seeking information about JEE Advanced ranks, GATE scores

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT B) has taken a significant step in addressing caste-based discrimination on its campus by issuing anti-discrimination guidelines for its students. In the wake of allegations of caste discrimination following the unfortunate death of a first-year BTech (Chemical) student, Darshan Solanki, the institute has circulated guidelines among students and displayed them at various locations on the Powai campus.

The guidelines explicitly discourage students from asking personal questions related to caste, birth, admission, or category, as such inquiries may lead to conscious or subconscious bias. Additionally, the guidelines also prohibit seeking information about JEE Advanced ranks, GATE scores, or any other details that may reveal caste or related aspects, as it can pave the way for discrimination.

Instead, the institute encourages students to build connections based on common interests, such as sports, music, movies, schools, college, and hobbies. By doing so, the aim is to foster a sense of camaraderie among students and create an inclusive environment.

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The guidelines also emphasize the importance of promoting respectful communication and prohibit the sharing of abusive, hateful, casteist, sexist, or bigoted messages. Such behavior is considered harassment or bullying and will be met with severe punishment as per the guidelines.

The tragic incident involving the death of Darshan Solanki has highlighted the need for addressing discrimination and promoting a more inclusive campus culture.

IIT Bombay has been actively promoting awareness about anti-discrimination during orientation sessions for new Under Graduate (UG) and Post Graduate (PG) entrants. The content from various cells and posters in this regard has now been compiled into a single poster and shared with both new and existing students.

Darshan Solanki, who hailed from Ahmedabad, tragically lost his life by jumping from the seventh floor of a hostel building on the IIT Bombay campus on February 12. The chargesheet filed by the Mumbai police in the case mentioned that he had expressed concerns about caste-based discrimination on campus to his mother during phone calls, stating that fellow students' behavior changed upon learning about his caste. (With inputs from PTI)

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