NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi has come under criticism over a recently organised conference that examined issues of caste, racism and their intersections in Indian society, prompting the institute to constitute a fact-finding committee to look into the matter.
The controversy centres on a conference titled “Celebrating 25 Years of Durban: Indian Contributions to Combatting Caste and Racism”, organised by the Critical Philosophy of Caste and Race (CPCR) research study group under IIT Delhi’s Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. The event was held from January 16 to 18, 2026, at the institute’s Senate Hall.
Former interim Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation Mannem Nageswara Rao took to social media platform X to question the conference and the existence of the CPCR group, alleging that its activities were “anti-national” and aimed at undermining national unity.
In a post addressed to IIT Delhi Director Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Rao claimed the CPCR group was part of what he described as an “anti-Hindu deep state initiative”. He alleged that similar conferences had been organised since at least 2024 and accused the institute’s leadership of tacitly approving such events by allowing them on campus.
The backlash primarily stems from objections to the speaker lineup, with critics arguing that some discussions portray India negatively on international platforms and equate caste with race.
Open house for JEE aspirants in Kota
IIT Delhi will organise an open house programme for JEE 2026 aspirants on January 31 in Kota, Rajasthan. To be held at Vardhman Mahaveer Open University, the event will offer insights into academic life at IITs, with faculty and students interacting with aspirants.