Don't Ask JEE Ranks, GATE Scores: IIT-B Warns Students

The IIT-Bombay has issued new guidelines wherein it has asked students not to ask other students about their JEE (Advanced) ranks/GATE scores and seek other information that might possibly reveal their caste.

The IIT Bombay considers it is inappropriate to ask a fellow student what birth or admission category they belong to which could "lead to conscious or subconscious bias."

"It is equally inappropriate for students to ask other students about their JEE (Advanced) ranks/GATE-scores, or any other information that may reveal the caste or other related aspects. While the student asking the question may feel it is innocent, and it may be driven purely by curiosity, asking the question can often have an adverse impact on the other student. Asking could appear like an attempt to find the caste, and may set the stage for discrimination," the statement said.

The institute has also prohibited students from exchanging and forwarding jokes that are abusive, hateful, casteist, sexist, etc.

The press release asks students not to exhibit bigotry based on religion or sexual orientation which can be considered as harassment or bullying.

It may be recalled that there were allegations of caste-based discrimination in the IIT-B following the suicide of a student named Darshan Solanki in February. Solanki (18) died allegedly after jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building on the Powai campus of the IIT. Hailing from Ahmedabad, he was a first-year student of B.Tech (Chemical) course. However, the institute refuted the claims.

Meanwhile, students have raised the issue of food discrimination at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) after "vegetarians only" posters were put up on the walls of a canteen in one of the hostels, a student representative said on Sunday.

Posters stating "vegetarians only are allowed to sit here" were put up on the walls of the canteen of hostel 12 at the prestigious institution last week, and a photograph of the same went viral on social media.