IIT Roorkee Restricts Students, Staff From Political Discussions & Posts

Backlash after IIT Roorkee bars campus community from showing affinity to political movements

Vibhushita Singh/Quint

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has issued a strict advisory to its students and employees, barring them from participating in political discussions, joining political activities, or making public statements without prior permission from the institute.

In a notification sent via email by the Registrar on July 20, the institute cited recent social media activity where members of the campus community expressed alignment with political movements. “It has been noticed on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, etc., that some of the campus inmates shown their affinity with political movement like the one currently, in public utterance and in public criticism,” the Registrar noted in the email.

The notification reminded students and staff that the mandate of admitted students and appointed faculty is centered around “instructions, research, and the advancement of learning” in engineering, technology, sciences, and arts. Citing its notified conduct rules, the institute emphasised that no student or employee is permitted to join political discussions or participate in any political activity without prior written permission.

The advisory bars students and staff from expressing opinions or making statements in broadcast, print, or electronic media that are “capable of embarrassing the relations between the institute and the Central Government or any other Organizations or members of the public”.

X/@iit_ayush

Backlash Over Constitutional Free Speech

The internal directive has drawn sharp reactions online from student groups and political leaders who have termed the advisory a “gag order” restricting fundamental freedoms of speech and expression on campus.

Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra strongly condemned the institute's directive in a post on X (formerly Twitter), urging students to disregard the email and demanding a formal apology from the administration. “And @iitroorkee our money funds you. Don’t you DARE tell our kids to forego their constitutional right to free speech & protest. Retract this email & apologise. Students ignore these bootlickers,” the post read.

IIT Roorkee Issues Clarification

IIT Roorkee in response to the public outcry issued a clarification through its Media Cell, stating that the email was an internal advisory routinely circulated at the beginning of the academic session. According to ANI, the institute stated that the notification aligns with its long-standing conduct rules and “should not be misinterpreted or viewed out of context”.

Additionally, on July 20, the same day as the CJP (Cockroach Janta Party) led ‘Sansad Chalo March’ demanding education reforms and the resignation of the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged exam leaks and irregularities, IIT Roorkee also released a public statement from its official X handle (@iitroorkee) seeking to distance the administration from individual political expressions.

“IIT Roorkee is committed to maintaining the distinction between personal expressions and official institutional communications. Any views or content shared by individuals in their personal capacity are their own and should not be interpreted as reflecting the position or endorsement of the Institute. Official communications of IIT Roorkee are issued only through its designated and authorized channels,” the post said. 

(The Quint has reached out to IIT Roorkee regarding the advisory and the concerns raised. The article will be updated as and when a response is received. )