To address caste discrimination in India’s top educational institutions, the All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) and Dr. BR Ambedkar National Association of Engineers (BANAE) have announced a peaceful demonstration at Freedom Park, Bengaluru, set for November 20. The protest seeks to address what organisers call “systematic discrimination” and alleged violations of constitutional rights within the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B), reports The Quint.
Kiran Kumar Gowd, President of AIOBCSA, revealed that recent Right to Information (RTI) applications filed by the association expose significant discrepancies in the adherence to reservation policies at India’s premier institutions, including IIMs and IITs.
“Our RTI findings have highlighted serious breaches in the implementation of reservation and roster policies,” Gowd stated. “At IIM Bangalore, reports of caste-based discrimination against faculty and students have surfaced, raising concerns about the institution’s commitment to equity.”
The protest’s primary demands include immediate removal of IIM-B leadership figures – Board Chairperson Devi Prasad Shetty, Director Rishikesha T. Krishnan, and Dean (Faculty) Dinesh Kumar – over allegations of neglecting issues of discrimination against marginalised communities, particularly Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
Protesters are also calling for sweeping reforms, including:
Establishment of SC/ST/OBC support cells for students and faculty,
Protective measures for faculty who speak out against caste-based discrimination,
Immediate filling of reserved faculty positions with transparent roster policies, and
Reconstitution of IIM Bangalore’s Board of Governors, in alignment with the IIM (Amendment) Act 2023, to ensure fair representation of marginalized communities.
“The current leadership has failed to address the systematic exclusion faced by oppressed communities,” Gowd noted. “We’re demanding transparency in faculty recruitment and an end to harassment of those who stand against caste-based prejudice.”
The planned demonstration has drawn the support of numerous Ambedkarite and progressive organisations, with representatives from various educational institutions expected to join. Organisers emphasise that the protest will be conducted peacefully, with a focus on achieving concrete changes within IIM-B’s institutional framework.
The RTI findings referenced by AIOBCSA suggest that the issues at IIM-B may reflect a broader trend across elite educational institutions in India, which are under increasing scrutiny for their diversity and inclusion practices.
