Bengaluru: An inquiry has found evidence of caste-based discrimination at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B), prompting the Karnataka Department of Social Welfare to call for action against six senior officials, including the institute’s director Rishikesha T. Krishnan.
The investigation conducted by the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE), found that Gopal Das, an associate professor of marketing who belongs to a Scheduled Caste (SC), faced public humiliation, exclusion, and denial of equal opportunities.
The report also highlighted the institute’s failure to establish mandatory grievance redressal mechanisms for SC and Scheduled Tribe (ST) employees.
The inquiry found that Krishnan, publicly disclosed Das’s caste in a mass email circulated within the institution. The investigation also found evidence of workplace exclusion. Krishnan, along with Dinesh Kumar, dean (faculty), were found denying Das equal opportunities in professional activities.
The allegations first came to light in January 2024 when Das wrote to President Droupadi Murmu during her visit to the institute, detailing incidents of exclusion from institutional activities, restricted access to resources, and caste-based humiliation. Acting on a directive from the president’s office, the DCRE initiated an inquiry in March 2024.
In May, Das wrote to P. Manivannan, principal secretary of the Karnataka Social Welfare Department alleging that harassment had intensified after DCRE initiated an inquiry. But IIM-B hit back and director Krishnan issued a show cause notice to Das, accusing him of unauthorisedly sharing information with the media.
Arun Chakravarthy, additional director general of police (ADGP) for the DCRE, submitted the investigation report to the Social Welfare Department on November 26.
The report highlighted IIM-B’s failure to comply with statutory obligations to establish an institutional mechanism for addressing grievances of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) employees.
The complaint also named prominent cardiologist and board of governors chairman Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, along with faculty members Sreelata Jonnalagedda, Rahul De, Ashish Mishra and Chetan Subramanian. Dr. Shetty secured a stay on the inquiry proceedings from the Karnataka high court.
In response to the findings, the Karnataka Social Welfare Department on December 9, directed the Bengaluru commissioner to initiate appropriate action against the remaining six officials under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015. The News Minute (TNM) has reached out to the police commissioner. The article will be updated as and when TNM gets a response.
The director and dean of IIM-B have sought an injunction from court against Das preventing him from making public statements in the media.
IIM-Bangalore issued a statement saying, “IIMB is aware of the investigation initiated by the DCRE and has shared all relevant information with them. It has not been provided with the copy of any report. However, if the media reports are to be relied upon, then it is an unfortunate development, but we cannot comment on any specifics without a copy of the report.”
The institute further stated, “In the specific case of Dr. Gopal Das rather than harassment or discrimination, Dr. Das has received all forms of support from the Institute since his recruitment in 2018, starting with his applying for the position of Assistant Professor, but being offered the role of Associate Professor based on his qualifications and experience.
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He has received significant incentives since he joined IIMB for his research and teaching, in addition to his salary as Associate Professor as per the 7th Central Pay Commission of the Government of India. He has been given positions of responsibility including Chairperson, Institutional Review Board; Member, Career Development Services Committee and Member, Diversity & Inclusion Committee and he has taught courses of his choice across different academic programmes of the Institute.”
IIM-B also said that Das’s allegations of discrimination surfaced only after his application for promotion was put on hold due to complaints of harassment filed by doctoral students. “An enquiry conducted by IIMB as per the rules, with the committee including a reputed academic from the SC category from an eminent institution, found that the students’ complaints were justified. The DIGRC found Dr. Das’s complaints of harassment and discrimination to be unfounded.”
The institute said it had submitted evidence to the DCRE but added, “From the news reports suggesting that the Institute has been indicted, it appears that the same has not been considered.”
This article was originally published on The News Minute. It is slightly edited to suit The Wire’s editorial style.
