IIT Delhi protests hit day 6; why students are now facing disciplinary action
New Delhi: IIT Delhi has warned students of disciplinary action as protests over the alleged suicide of a 31-year-old MSc student entered their sixth day, with demonstrators demanding an independent inquiry and action against institute officials.
IIT Delhi Director Rangan Banerjee has warned students that disciplinary action could be taken against those accused of disrupting the peaceful functioning of the campus.
In an email sent to students on Friday, Banerjee said the protests had "escalated significantly" and spread into residential areas of the campus.
He said a group of protesters demonstrated outside faculty housing between 10.30 pm and 12.30 am on Thursday and alleged that some slogans used "unsavoury, humiliating and threatening language".
The director said such conduct affected the safety, privacy and peace of faculty members and their families.
Students demand independent inquiry
The protests began following the death of a 31-year-old MSc student on August 22. The student allegedly died by suicide after jumping from a building on the IIT Delhi campus.
Students have been demanding an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, action against institute officials and compensation for the student's family.
The demonstrations have now continued for six consecutive days.
External probe panel reconstituted
Amid the protests, IIT Delhi reconstituted its external inquiry panel on Thursday.
Retired Delhi High Court judge Mukta Gupta has been appointed to head the panel examining the circumstances surrounding the student's death.
The move came a day after former Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar recused himself as chairperson of the committee, citing personal reasons.
Tensions rise over protest conduct
The institute's warning comes as the student agitation continues on campus.
While students have been pressing for an independent investigation, the administration has emphasised that protests must not disrupt academic activities or affect residential areas.
The latest warning indicates that the dispute is now extending beyond demands for an inquiry to questions over how demonstrations are being conducted.
The situation at IIT Delhi involves two parallel issues: students' demands for an independent examination of the circumstances surrounding the death and the institute's concerns about maintaining campus operations and the safety and privacy of residents.
The reconstitution of the external panel with a retired High Court judge as its head is a significant development in the inquiry. However, protests have continued, suggesting that students' concerns have not been resolved by the change in the panel.
The administration's latest warning also establishes a clear distinction between the right to protest and conduct that it considers disruptive. Any disciplinary action against students could become another point of contention if the demonstrations continue.