In the wake of alleged caste-based discrimination at Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bengaluru, the All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) on Thursday, December 19, demanded the police to register a case against the institute’s Director Dr Rishikesha T Krishnan, and sought her resignation.
An inquiry by the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) revealed that Dr Gopal Das, an associate professor of marketing from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, faced public humiliation, exclusion, and denial of equal opportunities. The report also flagged the institute’s failure to establish mandatory grievance redressal mechanisms for SC and Scheduled Tribe (ST) employees.
In November, AIOBCSA staged a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, accusing IIM Bengaluru of violating constitutional mandates on equity and inclusion. The association reiterated its demands, alleging the director had failed to implement reservation policies and address diversity issues on campus.
The association criticised the institute’s claim of adherence to diversity and inclusion policies, pointing out the absence of statutory SC, ST, and OBC Cells and the lack of community representatives in grievance redressal mechanisms.
“IIM Bangalore's response has been dismissive, attributing the denial of Dr Das's promotion to unrelated harassment complaints filed by doctoral students. However, these allegations surfaced only after his application for promotion was withheld, raising serious questions about retaliation,” the association said in a statement.
The allegations first surfaced in January 2024 when Dr Das wrote to President Droupadi Murmu during her visit to the institute, detailing instances of exclusion, restricted access to resources, and caste-based humiliation. Following a directive from the President’s office, the DCRE initiated an inquiry in March.
“This case underscores the pervasive issue of caste discrimination in higher education and the lack of accountability within premier institutions. The government must act decisively to protect the rights of SC, ST, and OBC faculty members. Immediate steps should include filing FIRs against the accused, ensuring compliance with legal mandates for grievance redressal, and fostering a truly inclusive environment at IIM Bangalore,” the association added.