Freedom Park in Bengaluru turned into a hub of dissent on November 20, as activists and students protested against alleged caste-based discrimination at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B). The protesters, demanding the resignation of the institute’s director, accused the institution of failing to uphold constitutional mandates on equity and inclusion.

Organised by the All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA), the Dr BR Ambedkar Association of Engineers (BANAE), and the OBC Federation of India, the protest brought together representatives from marginalised communities and progressive organisations. Slogans echoed through the park as demonstrators called for accountability and structural reforms to address systemic exclusion within one of India’s top academic institutions.

The protestors called for the resignation of IIM-B Director Rishikesha T Krishnan, accusing him of violating reservation policies and failing to address diversity and inclusion issues on campus. The protesters alleged that IIM-B has consistently disregarded constitutional mandates on reservations.

According to an RTI response, only 16 of the 110 filled faculty positions at IIM-Bangalore are held by individuals from marginalised communities—five from Scheduled Castes (SC), one from Scheduled Tribe (ST), and ten from Other Backward Classes (OBC). The number of sanctioned positions is 120.

Protesters highlighted the glaring underrepresentation as a failure to uphold constitutional mandates of equity and social justice in higher education. They demanded the immediate implementation of reservation policies for SC, ST, and OBC candidates across all faculty, staff, and student categories.

The protestors also called for establishment of dedicated SC, ST, and OBC grievance redressal cells at the IIM-B to address caste-related complaints and ensure accountability.

Kiran Kumar Gowd, National President, AIOBCSA, said that faculty members advocating for diversity and inclusion have faced harassment from the administration. Such instances, he said, “create a hostile environment for marginalised communities, further perpetuating exclusion and discrimination.” Many faculty members belonging to marginalised communities have faced caste-based discrimination in the institute, he alleged. “But they are hesitant to come forward for fear of identification,” he said.

The protest also highlighted discrepancies in institutional responses to caste-based issues. While RTI responses indicate no official record of caste atrocities or harassment by faculty or staff, protesters argued that this reflects a lack of mechanism to acknowledge or address such complaints rather than the absence of incidents.

The protest drew support from BS Shivanna, General Secretary and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and party spokesperson Dhruv Jetti.

The official statement from IIM Bangalore on the Protest held on 20 November, 2024.

IIM Bangalore categorically denies and refutes the allegations and statements made in the press note and at the protest held on 20 November 2024. The Institute has long prioritized nurturing an inclusive work environment, one that promotes the growth and development of all our stakeholders who come from diverse backgrounds, including SC/ST and OBC communities. Specifically, IIMB has established a Diversity and Inclusion Cell, along with a Diversity and Inclusion Grievance Redressal Committee (“DIGRC”), to provide robust support and address any grievances, ensuring a discrimination-free atmosphere. As such, the Institute has established strong anti-discrimination policies and procedures to ensure that there is no caste-based discrimination or harassment against any individual.

IIM Bangalore is in the process of implementation of reservation for faculty positions pursuant to coming into effect of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act 2019. The Institute has a rolling advertisement for recruitment of faculty on its website that explicitly indicates the reservation policy under the Act. Further, the Institute has also launched Special Recruitment Efforts for candidates from reserved categories in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Over 10 new faculty from reserved categories (SC/ST/OBC) have joined the institute since 2019.  There is no constraint on Institute employees raising any issue pertaining to the functioning of the Institute as long as they operate within the institutional Service Rules that have been formulated by faculty and approved by the Board. The Institute encourages and welcomes any constructive feedback on how it can be more inclusive.