IIT Bombay is a hostile environment for SC/ST students: Survey report

Mumbai: As per media reports, a survey of 388 SC/ST students at IIT Bombay revealed that nearly a third of them felt uncomfortable discussing their caste identity openly on campus, according to a draft report of the survey.

Almost half (48.1%) of the 134 respondents said the SC/ST student cell or the Students Wellness Centre (SWC) could approach them. However, 22.2% were concerned about both. Students' distrust of the institute's bodies is reflected in their response, stated an HT report.

“The number maps how hostile, insensitive and unsafe a place IIT Bombay is for SC/ST students,” stated the survey notes as per the HT report. The note also added that the cell and IIT must create “a safe and secure space and to build the confidence of students so that they can openly assert their identity and seek redressal in case of discrimination”.

Almost one-fourth of respondents added their responses in the survey's comments section. Many students stated that they did not complete the survey because it mentioned SWC, which they perceived to be biased against them.

Last year, the SC/ST Students' Cell at IIT Bombay, which has students as members and faculty as convenors, conducted two surveys, one in February and one in June.

The first survey sought data to better understand the lives of SC/ST students on campus and the issues they face, whereas the second focused on the mental health of SC/STstudents.

The second survey conducted in June by the SC/ST Students' Cell of the IIT Bombay found that almost one-fourth of the SC/ST students who took part in the survey suffered from mental health problems while 7.5 percent of them faced "acute mental health problems and exhibited a tendency for self-harm".

The surveys were distributed to all SC/ST students at the institute (approximately 2,000), 388 of whom responded in February and 134 in June. The institute has yet to officially release the results of the two surveys.