IIT Bombay New Policy: India’s top engineering institute, IIT Bombay, has decided to stop asking for and sharing students’ caste information with public sector companies (PSUs) during campus placements. The decision came after allegations of caste-based discrimination surfaced during campus placements, triggering a much-needed debate about equity and fairness at one of India’s top institutions.
Earlier, IIT Kanpur alumnus and founder of the Global IIT Alumni Support Group, Dheeraj Singh, had also spoken about the issue of discrimination at IIT placements. In 2023, Singh had filed a complaint with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) alleging that some IIT placement offices allowed employers to discriminate against students from marginalised communities. Through his efforts, Singh had brought to the fore the plight of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, who face regular discrimination at placements.
By acknowledging the complaint, NCSC asked IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and the Ministry of Education to investigate and submit an action report within 15 days by January 2024. IIT Bombay said it has completely stopped collecting and sharing caste-related information with PSUs from 2024 onwards, taking a step toward fairness and transparency in placements.
A New Era of Equal Opportunities
IIT Bombay’s move will be a relief to students. Earlier, the institute openly admitted to caste profiling of students during placements. Public sector companies independently verified documents for reserved categories, but the placement office collected and shared caste-related information. This, though ostensibly administrative, often led to unconscious biases and unequal treatment.
The placement office will no longer ask for or share caste details of students during recruitment, thus ensuring that all students are judged on the basis of their skills, qualifications and merit. The move has been welcomed as a step to ensure a more equitable and inclusive environment for students.
Dheeraj Singh, who runs the Global IIT Alumni Support Group that helps SC/ST students during placements, has been one of the key people pushing for this change. The group’s long struggle for removing systemic barriers to equal opportunities shows how collective voices can bring about change.
A Step Toward a Fairer Future
It is not just a policy change, but a precedent that IIT Bombay has set for others to follow. By discontinuing caste-based profiling, the institute has sent out a message that discrimination in any form is not tolerated in education or employment. This move will hopefully encourage other IITs and educational institutes to reconsider their practices to create a level playing field for all students.
For students, this means more transparency and equal opportunity at placements. It also emphasises meritocracy in a system that has been dominated by social hierarchies. It is a long road to eliminating caste-based discrimination, but IIT Bombay’s decision is a big step forward.
In a country where caste continues to matter so much, this move by one of India’s premier institutions is a sign of hope. It demonstrates that change is possible when institutions listen, take ownership and act with integrity. As IIT Bombay leads, it opens the door to a more inclusive and just future for all students.
