IIT Guwahati: Disciplinary committee summons students over protest

NEW DELHI: Nine students of Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT- Guwahati) have been asked to depose before the Students' Disciplinary Committee, or SDC, in connection with a protest and hunger strike they staged on January 4. Since November last year, students have been protesting over action initiated against a professor, who alleged corruption at various levels in the institute.

On November 17, hundreds of IIT Guwahati marched in protest inside the campus after the institute sent a memo to Brijesh Kumar Rai, an assistant professor in the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering. He was issued a memo for his alleged "misconduct" and defaming the institute.

The students have been asked to appear before the SDC on January 22 in connection with the protest. The notice issued by the assistant registrar of students' affairs says: "As directed, you are advised to attend an SDC meeting to be held in the office of the Dean of Students' Affairs on 22.01.2020 at 5 PM (in connection with Protest March by students on 17.11.2019 and recent hunger strike) where your presence and disposition is considered necessary."

In January, Brijesh Rai was given "compulsory retirement" from the institute over his alleged misconduct. He had written an email to the Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, alleging corruption in staff appointments for a joint research project. He was accused of breaching protocol and causing embarassment.

Following action against Rai few of the students sat on an indefinite hunger strike from January 4, who were later admitted hospital after their condition deteriorated.

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