IIT-B issues guidelines for hosting events after row

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay has issued new guidelines for hosting events on campus, making approval mandatory for inviting external speakers, particularly for events with potential political implications, amid controversies over recent events organised by the humanities and social sciences (HSS) department.

- Niraj Pandit

According to the guidelines, issued by the IIT-B administration on Tuesday, events organised by faculty must receive approval from the head of the academic unit, while those organised by students require official permission from the administration. Protests on campus without prior approval from both the administration and local police will be strictly prohibited.

The institute has introduced an "external speaker review committee" to vet visiting speakers before granting approval to events. The committee will be appointed by the institute director, said the guidelines.

"Faculty members hosting events must provide detailed information, including speaker bios, abstracts of talks, public links, and recorded materials for review," it said.