What happened at IIT Mandi? Inquiry ordered after Bhagavad Gita-themed poster sparks caste discrimination row

IIT Mandi has found itself at the centre of a controversy after a Bhagavad Gita-themed poster displayed on the campus during Janmashtami celebrations described the role of Shudras as being to “serve higher classes." The wording triggered allegations of caste discrimination and prompted the institute to order an inquiry into how the poster was prepared and displayed.The controversy has also drawn attention to IIT Mandi Director Laxmidhar Behera's long association with teachings based on the Bhagavad Gita and ISKCON. However, Behera has strongly distanced the institute from the poster, saying it was part of a student-led event and had not received institutional approval.Poster displayed during Janmashtami celebrations sparks controversyThe poster, titled “Bhagavad Gita—The Timeless Wisdom," was displayed outside IIT Mandi's auditorium during Janmashtami celebrations on September 4.It sought to explain the four divisions of society referred to in the Bhagavad Gita, Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. The poster described Brahmanas as those who “spread God's message," Kshatriyas as those who “protect society and spirituality," and Vaishyas as those who “drive the economy and support others."However, the description assigned to Shudras, "serve higher classes," triggered outrage and became the central point of the controversy.The poster also carried a verse from the Bhagavad Gita referring to the four divisions of human society being created according to the “three modes of material nature and the work associated with them."The display raised concerns among members of the academic community and others who viewed the wording as reinforcing caste hierarchy and discrimination.IIT Mandi director condemns the displayResponding to the controversy, IIT Mandi Director Laxmidhar Behera said he was “shocked” after learning about the poster and made it clear that the institute had not approved or endorsed it, according to TNN.In an email sent to the IIT Mandi community on Sunday, Behera described his response as an “outright condemnation of recent poster display within campus." He said the institute was committed to the constitutional principles of equality, social justice, and scientific temper.“The institute strongly condemns any form of caste-based discrimination,” Bahera told PTI, while urging members of the campus community to stand united against discrimination and social bias.Behera also said he personally empathised with members of the IIT Mandi community who had been hurt by the incident.Inquiry committee set up to examine the matterThe IIT Mandi administration has now constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the poster.According to Behera, the committee includes faculty members as well as representatives from different social groups, including members of the Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes.The panel will examine how the poster was prepared, who authorised its display and how it eventually became part of the student-led Janmashtami event.Behera told PTI that he had been away from the campus when the poster was displayed and returned on Saturday. He said he learnt about the controversy on Sunday morning.“I have not seen the poster. I don't want to take a side here and let the panel decide,” he told PTI.Director's association with Bhagavad Gita draws attentionThe controversy has also brought renewed attention to Behera's association with the Bhagavad Gita and ISKCON.According to his official IIT Mandi profile, Behera has spent nearly three decades teaching what he describes as universal principles of peace through the Bhagavad Gita. He is also associated with the proposed Bhaktivedanta University, described on its website as an ISKCON initiative.Behera currently teaches a three-credit course on the Bhagavad Gita at IIT Mandi.Amid questions surrounding the poster, he defended ISKCON's position on caste discrimination, maintaining that the organisation opposes casteism and promotes equality.He told PTI that occupational duties, according to his understanding, are determined by guna and karma, rather than caste-based discrimination.Behera also pointed to what he described as increased representation of marginalised communities among the institute's faculty during his tenure.Previous controversies involving the IIT Mandi directorThis is not the first time Behera's views have attracted public attention. In 2023, he reportedly asked students to take a pledge against eating meat and linked extreme weather events, including landslides and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh, to cruelty towards animals.Earlier, in 2022, a video surfaced in which he spoke about using the chanting of holy mantras to help a friend's family deal with what he described as “evil spirits”.More recently, IIT Mandi's Indian Knowledge System and Mental Health Applications Centre organised a conference that included discussions on subjects such as the Bhagavad Gita, Ayurveda and reincarnation. Behera was among those associated with the event and also co-organised a session dealing with reincarnation, out-of-body experiences and afterlife communication.What happens next?For now, the focus remains on the inquiry ordered by IIT Mandi. The committee is expected to establish how the controversial poster was created and displayed on the campus and whether any institutional procedures were bypassed.The incident has once again raised a larger question about the responsibility of educational institutions when religious, cultural, or philosophical ideas are presented in academic spaces. While IIT Mandi has unequivocally stated that it does not support caste-based discrimination, the findings of its inquiry will be closely watched to determine how the controversial display found a place on one of India's premier technical campuses.As the investigation proceeds, the controversy has underlined the sensitivity surrounding caste, religion, and social equality, particularly within educational institutions that are expected to uphold the constitutional values of inclusion and equal opportunity.(With inputs from PTI)Get the latest Education News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.