IIMC student suspended from hostel for insulting teacher on WhatsApp

A student at Delhi’s Indian Institute of Mass Communication has been suspended for a week from the hostel for using “offensive and unparliamentary language” against a faculty member.

In February, the faculty member, who is a course director at the premier journalism institute, had offered to resign after the message on a WhatsApp group was made public.

The ministry has also asked the IIMC to set up an internal mechanism to prevent casteism on the campus; draw up a code of conduct for students as well as employees; set up an SC/ST cell; appoint a dean of students’ welfare and frame a social media policy. The institute will also have to set up an academic council with outside representation

IIMC had inquired into the incident and has now recommend that the student, Prashant Kanojia, be suspended from the hostel for a week.

Kanojia who had earlier approached the IIMC with a complaint against a colleague for making derogatory references to Dalits , had in a WhatsApp group made improper reference to the faculty member.

The inquiry report has noted that Kanojia had admitted to using “expletives” against the faculty member and apologised. It has however, recommended a week’s expulsion from the hostel for the use of “ indecent, offensive vulgar and unparliamentary language”.

Incidentally, the Ministry of information and Broadcasting, which had ordered a probe into Kanojia’s complaint is yet to make public the findings of its inquiry. The Dalit and tribal students of IIMC have also approached the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, complaining that some of their colleagues in the campus had posted derogatory remarks against the communities on social media.