'Wrong to automatically fix guilt on upper castes; it's reverse casteism': Sudheendra Kulkarni on IIT Bombay case

Author and activist Sudheendra Kulkarni on Monday called for the withdrawal of the SC/ST Act case against IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla, saying faculty members should not face action unless their guilt is established.

In an appeal to IIT alumni and former faculty members, Kulkarni said the reasons behind the death of IIT Bombay undergraduate Sahil Wakode should be investigated impartially. He also backed the institute's Faculty Forum, which has supported Doolla over his handling of the examination incident.

"Let's stop the misuse of the SC/ST ACT at IITs -- and everywhere in India," Kulkarni said in his appeal. "Let's stand in solidarity with Prof Suryanarayana Doolla."

Wakode died by suicide on September 18, hours after he was allegedly found using a smartphone during a mid-semester examination. Doolla, who was invigilating the exam, reported the alleged academic malpractice to institute authorities.

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Wakode's father later filed a police complaint alleging caste-based discrimination and harassment by Doolla. An FIR was subsequently registered against the professor for alleged abetment of suicide and under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Kulkarni said the situation following Wakode's death showed "an absolute perversion of the basic principle of justice - 'Innocent until proven guilty.'"

He said, "No action should be taken against Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla, who has stellar academic credentials and has received many honours and awards, unless his guilt is established by the probe."

He also called for the case against Doolla under the SC/ST Act to be withdrawn.

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'Which faculty would return to India?'

Kulkarni said students at IITs and other higher education institutions take their own lives across caste and community groups, and that the causes behind such deaths vary.

He said it was wrong to automatically blame people from "upper castes" when a student from an SC or ST community dies by suicide and seek punishment under the SC/ST Act. He described this as "reverse casteism" and said a wider national debate was needed to reform the law.

"If the Sword of Damocles in the form of the SC/ST Act hangs over their heads, which patriotic Indian from reputed universities abroad would want to return to India and take up a faculty position at IITs?" Kulkarni said.

He also pointed to faculty shortages at IITs. Citing media reports, he said 4,804 of 12,498 sanctioned faculty posts across the 23 IITs were vacant as of January 30, 2026. He said IIT Kharagpur had a faculty vacancy rate of 51.3%.

Call for campus reforms

Kulkarni said IITs and other higher education institutions should continue improving campus life and provide additional coaching and peer-support initiatives, particularly for students from marginalised communities.

He also called for efforts to counter casteism and communalism on campuses while maintaining an intellectual environment that encourages critical thinking and respects diverse ideas.

Kulkarni said activism that "breeds bigotry" and receives political patronage or protection for vote-bank considerations should be discouraged.

"IITs, like many other institutions of higher learning, are the Pride of India," he said, adding that their reputation was closely linked to the dedication and professional excellence of faculty members.

Kulkarni ended his appeal by urging IIT alumni and faculty members to stand in solidarity with Doolla and "raise our collective voice to stop the misuse of the SC/ST Act."