IIT Mandi probes ‘Shudras serve higher classes’ poster; director blames some students’ interpretation
IIT Mandi has launched an inquiry into a student-led event where a poster containing caste-based discriminatory content was displayed. The institute's director, Laxmidhar Behera, condemned the incident and distanced the administration from the poster's message.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing tensions regarding caste, social justice, and religious interpretation within prestigious Indian academic institutions.
IIT Mandi has ordered an inquiry into a controversial Bhagavad Gita-themed poster on its campus that said Shudras should “serve higher classes”, with Director Laxmidhar Behera attributing it to students’ interpretation of the scripture and distancing the institute from its contents.
Mr. Behera himself has a longstanding association with the teaching of the Bhagavad Gita and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He teaches a three-credit Gita course at IIT Mandi and is the founder of the proposed Bhaktivedanta University, which describes itself as an ISKCON initiative.
“Some students have interpreted the Gita in some way. I have instituted an enquiry committee. It was a student-based event,” Mr. Behera told PTI on Sunday (September 6, 2026), asserting that he and the institute stood against caste discrimination.
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