Opinion: IITs Must Advance Technology, Not Become Battlegrounds For Ideological Wars
By Harshil Mehta, News18.com | Published September 16, 2025
Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), renowned for their excellence in engineering and technology, face a critical crossroads. An emerging trend of expanding humanities and social sciences departments within these premier technological institutes has sparked a debate about their core mission and the proper use of resources. Critics argue that IITs are straying from their foundational objectives by becoming arenas for ideological battles rather than focusing on technological advancement.
The Controversy over Political and Ideological Activities
The issue gained attention when a flyer for an event titled “South Asian Capitalism(s)”, co-organized by IIT Bombay and the University of California, Berkeley, featured a cartoon caricature resembling the classic communist pyramid of capitalism but customized with prominent Indian political figures. This flyer drew criticism for allegedly misusing taxpayer funds to promote a political agenda, sparking controversy on social media platforms and prompting IIT Bombay to distance itself from the event through an official statement.
This event was sponsored by the New Political Economy Initiative (NPEI), helmed by a humanities faculty member at IIT Bombay who is a British citizen. Although the initiative has received significant funding — reportedly INR 35 crore from the Ford Foundation — its academic output has been questioned. The head lacks recent peer-reviewed publications, and some research papers under this initiative rely on non-traditional sources such as Wikipedia and news reports, raising concerns about academic rigor.
Questionable Faculty Conduct and Research Output
The problem is not isolated to one department or institute. Other faculty members in humanities departments at IIT Bombay and IIT Gandhinagar have publicly voiced politically charged opinions online, including calls for class war and controversial interpretations of religious texts. Simultaneously, these faculties reportedly show limited research output, which undermines the productivity expectations from taxpayer-funded institutes.
Such developments have sparked debate about whether humanities departments within IITs dilute the institutions’ brand by involving them in controversial political and ideological discourse instead of focusing on research and innovation.
The Core Question: What Are IITs For?
IITs were originally established as centers of excellence in engineering, science, and technology education and research. Their mission was to develop cutting-edge technological expertise critical to India’s growth. However, recent policy shifts and the pursuit of higher rankings have encouraged IITs to institute full-fledged humanities and social sciences departments offering BA, MA, and PhD programs with considerable academic autonomy.
While humanities subjects are valuable, especially to foster well-rounded engineers with humanistic perspectives, critics argue that setting up independent, funded departments within IITs invites ideological entanglements. For example, humanities faculty have formed affiliations with politically inclined NGOs and foreign foundations, potentially influencing research agendas in ways that do not align with the IITs’ core mission.
Governance Challenges and Nepotism Concerns
Another layer of complexity lies in IIT governance. The absence of strict, transparent conflict of interest policies allows for nepotism to thrive. Sources indicate that some IIT campuses have multiple family members employed simultaneously, with no public policies addressing how such relationships are managed to avoid favoritism.
Compared to their Western counterparts, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge — which have clear regulations preventing supervisors from directly overseeing family members — IITs lack similar conflict of interest frameworks. This administrative gap risks eroding meritocracy and organizational integrity.
The Danger of Politicizing Technological Institutes
Allowing IITs to become arenas for political activism threatens their academic environment. Past campus unrest related to politically charged issues like the anti-CAA protests illustrates how ideologically charged climates can disrupt research and learning.
Far from fostering open dialogue, these environments risk creating divisive silos and eroding the apolitical atmosphere crucial for innovation and scientific advancement. This not only diminishes the value of the IIT brand but also detracts from India’s broader technological progress.
Path Forward: Strengthening Focus and Governance
To preserve the IITs’ reputation and mission, several measures are recommended:
- Mandate disclosure of funding: All foreign and local NGO funding for research projects should be transparently disclosed to ensure accountability.
- Implement strict conflict of interest policies: Clear guidelines are necessary to manage employment of relatives and prevent nepotism.
- Align humanities research with technology goals: Humanities departments should demonstrate research outcomes that support or complement the technological mission of IITs.
- Consider establishing standalone humanities institutes: Instead of expanding full autonomous humanities departments within IITs, the government could create dedicated humanities institutions. Teaching essential humanities courses to engineering students can be managed within existing frameworks without extensive department autonomy.
Conclusion
IITs must remain focused on advancing technology and innovation rather than becoming battlegrounds for ideological conflicts. Upholding rigorous academic standards, transparent governance, and a clear institutional mission will ensure that these institutes continue to be a global benchmark for excellence in engineering and technology.
The current trajectory calls for thoughtful course correction to reaffirm IITs’ core purpose — empowering India’s technological future with integrity and impartiality.
Harshil Mehta is an independent columnist specializing in international relations and socio-political affairs. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of News18.
