Researchers launch Twitter campaign in support of sacked IIT Guwahati whistleblower professor

Researchers from IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay started a Twitter campaign in support of former IIT Guwahati professor Dr Brijesh Kumar Rai, who was recently asked to go on compulsory retirement. Rai had previously spoken up against the alleged series of corruptions and malpractices in the institute.

On January 21, a number of researchers from institutes all over the country took it to Twitter to express their solidarity with Dr Rai. They had tweeted with #ISupportIITGProtesters. Previously, the students of IIT Guwahati had conducted a hunger strike and a candle march, in protest against the administration's actions. Following the same, the administration had taken disciplinary action against nine of its students. The campaign was also aimed at supporting these students.

"We had initially planned to organise a larger campaign. However, that was when our friends from IIT Guwahati received notices from the administration. So, we decided to launch this campaign at the earliest," says a researcher from IIT Bombay. "We also would like to remind the administrations of the IITs that their constitutions are not above the Constitution of India, which lets us raise our opinion and protest," he says. The IIT-G students were slated to meet the Dean of Students' Affairs on Wednesday evening. "We will plan similar large scale campaigns if the administration takes a decision against the students," says the IIT-B researcher.

The researchers also demanded a fair and independent investigation of all the cases of corruption of IIT-G, which Rai has raised and a fair and independent inquiry concerning the suspension and compulsory retirement of Rai.

Queris regarding the protest directed to the IIT Guwahati administration went unanswered.