IIT-B alumni questions credibility of interim report on Solanki’s death

Mumbai: Three days after the interim report by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) that ruled out alleged caste discrimination as the reason for Darshan Solanki’s suicide, the institute’s alumni have questioned its credibility.

“There is 100% conflict of interest in the report as there are no external members in the committee,” said Dheeraj Singh, an IIT-Kanpur alumnus and a former research associate at IIT-Bombay.

Singh is also mobilising IIT alumni and faculty for SC/ST welfare and also written emails to the IIT-Bombay administration, convenors of SC/ST Students Cell in IIT Bombay, minister of education, the higher education secretary, UGC chairman, and directors of various IITs, and the IIT council board.

In his email, Singh raised a lot of questions about the credibility of the committee and the report. He also pointed out the lack of maturity in the formation of the committee. “Does inquiry use a protocol as per terms of reference (TOR), share findings, include limitations, suggestions for path ahead, disclosures of any conflict of interest?” wrote Singh, who also pointed out that the committee doesn’t have a member with expertise on suicide/mental health matters.

“It shows the conflict of interest of the institute,” Singh added.

Highlighting serious flaws in research methods in the inquiry of the committee, Singh wrote sarcastically in the email, “If you need help in future on how to set up an independent fact-finding committee which has at least one expert on suicide/mental health matters with a proper TOR and an inquiry and report release protocol, we will be happy to educate you on the simple steps involved.”

Another IIT-B alumnus, Rajesh Kamble, a Mumbai-based working professional, also raised concerns about the death of Solanki on campus. “Such incidents hit the legacy of an institute like the IITs,” Kamble said. “To get admission in IITs is not a cakewalk for any student, and especially not for SC/ST/OBC students who come from different backgrounds. The institute must play a big role like having regular interactive sessions for students, hand holding freshers to their seniors at least for first two semesters which plays an important role to keep a good environment in the institutions,” Kamble added.

The IIT-Bombay committee which was investigating Solanki’s death submitted its interim report on this matter to the college administration on March 6. Various stakeholders, including students, educators, and as well as a member of the faculty itself, criticised the report. Professor Sharmila from the institute’s Humanities and Social Sciences department, who wrote an email to the institute’s faculty discussion forum on Tuesday, which is critical of the report, has become a much-discussed topic within the campus.

Darshan Solanki was a chemical engineering student at IIT-Bombay who died by suicide on February 12. It has since been alleged from various quarters that Darshan was pushed to take his own life due to harassment he may have faced on account of his caste. To investigate, a 12-member Interim Inquiry Committee was appointed by IIT-Bombay under the chairmanship of professor Nand Kishore, department of chemistry, IIT-B, on February 13.