IIT Roorkee warns students against social media support to 'political movements like current one'
IIT Roorkee has issued an advisory warning students and staff against expressing support for political movements on social media. The directive cites institutional conduct rules regarding the potential to embarrass the institute's relationship with the government.
Why it matters
The advisory has sparked a debate regarding academic freedom, freedom of speech on campus, and the extent to which educational institutions can regulate the personal political expression of their members.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Roorkee has warned its students and staff against using social media to show affinity to "any political movement like the current one."
The advisory issued on Monday (July 20, 2026) cited the institute's rules barring students from making any statement which can "embarrass relations between the institute and government."
While the fresh advisory created furore on social media with several users terming it a "gag order", the institute insisted that it is in accordance with existing rules and should not be viewed out of context.
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