The election for members of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore's Board of Governors (BOG) has sparked outrage among the global alumni network of the institution due to the inclusion of two professors, who were recently accused in a caste discrimination case in a panel of three candidates, for voting.
The Telegraph reported that under the IIM (Amendment) Act, two faculty representatives are required on the BOG, which is the institution's decision-making body. Professor Rejie George’s term as a member ended on December 23.
Global IIM Alumni opposes move
According to a report by The Telegraph, the move has irked the Global IIM Alumni Network, which has voiced strong opposition to the decision made by IIM Bangalore Director Rishikesha T Krishnan. Krishnan is also accused in a caste discrimination case involving a Dalit faculty member.
The network criticised the inclusion of two accused individuals on the panel, though the institute has defended its decision.
Anil Wagde, representing the Global IIM Alumni Network, expressed that the director should not have shortlisted the names of the accused professors. He noted that a First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against the two faculty members for discrimination. Wagde emphasised that only individuals with a clean record, free from any criminal allegations, should be considered for the board, according to The Telegraph report.
In response, IIM Bangalore Spokesperson Kavitha Kumar stated that the institute adhered to the prescribed rules while shortlisting the candidates.
Inquiry conducted by the gov't
The Karnataka government conducted an inquiry that found Krishnan, Dean Dinesh Kumar, and six other faculty members culpable in a case filed by associate professor Gopal Das. An FIR was registered against all of them, though the Karnataka High Court has stayed proceedings in the case.
The Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement's investigation concluded that Das had faced ongoing harassment after the institute disclosed his caste in mass emails.
The inquiry found that the institute had violated equal opportunity laws by failing to establish a proper mechanism for addressing grievances from Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) members.
