IIT Mandi has ordered an inquiry right into a controversial Bhagavad Gita-themed poster on its campus that mentioned Shudras ought to “serve greater lessons”, with Director Laxmidhar Behera attributing it to college students’ interpretation of the scripture and distancing the institute from its contents.
Mr. Behera himself has a longstanding affiliation with the educating of the Bhagavad Gita and the Worldwide Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He teaches a three-credit Gita course at IIT Mandi and is the founding father of the proposed Bhaktivedanta College, which describes itself as an ISKCON initiative.
“Some college students have interpreted the Gita not directly. I’ve instituted an enquiry committee. It was a student-based occasion,” Mr. Behera advised PTI on Sunday (September 6, 2026), asserting that he and the institute stood in opposition to caste discrimination.
In an e mail to the IIT Mandi neighborhood on Sunday (September 6, 2026), titled “Outright condemnation of current poster show inside campus”, Mr. Behera mentioned he was “shocked” to study concerning the poster displayed throughout Janmashtami celebrations on September 4 and careworn that it had not been endorsed by the institute “in any method”.
“I’ve personally fought in opposition to caste-based discrimination in any kind in each discussion board. I’ve instituted an enquiry committee on this matter such that the institute campus is rarely used for any such violation of social concord. I totally empathise with members of our neighborhood who’ve been harm by this incident,” he wrote.
Mr. Behera mentioned the institute was dedicated to upholding “the values of equality, social justice, scientific mood” and different rules enshrined within the Structure.
Additionally Learn : No case of caste discrimination or alienation of SC/ST students reported from IITs in last 5 years: Govt. in RS
“The institute strongly condemns any type of caste-based discrimination,” he mentioned within the e mail, in search of cooperation from the campus neighborhood to “stand collectively in opposition to such biases/discrimination in any kind”.
Mr. Behera advised PTI that the poster was ready as a part of a student-led occasion and {that a} committee comprising college members and representatives from completely different social classes, together with Scheduled Castes and Different Backward Lessons, has been constituted to look into the matter.
The controversy erupted over a poster titled “Bhagavad Gita – The Timeless Knowledge”, which was displayed exterior the institute’s auditorium and divided society into Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras.
It described the position of Brahmanas as to “unfold God’s message” and Kshatriyas as to “shield society and spirituality”. Vaishyas as to “drive financial system, help others” and Shudras as to “serve greater lessons”.
The poster additionally carried a verse from the Bhagavad Gita which mentioned the 4 divisions of human society had been created in accordance with the “three modes of fabric nature and the work related to them”.
Mr. Behera mentioned he had been away from the campus and returned solely on Saturday (September 5, 2026) and got here to know concerning the controversy on Sunday morning (September 6, 2026).
“I’ve not seen the poster. I don’t need to take a aspect right here and let the panel determine,” he advised PTI.
Mr. Behera’s official IIT Mandi profile says he has taught the “common rules of peace via the Bhagavad Gita” to younger folks for 27 years. Additionally recognized as “HG Lila Purushottam Das”, he’s the founding father of the proposed Bhaktivedanta College, which its web site describes as an ISKCON initiative.
The IIT director mentioned ISKCON strongly opposes caste discrimination and teaches equality.
“ISKCON is the one organisation that strictly and strongly speaks in opposition to caste-based discrimination. In ISKCON, pujaris are additionally from the Shudra neighborhood. Muslims are additionally pujaris,” he claimed.
“We’re in opposition to casteism in all kinds. All occupational duties are in accordance with guna and karma,” he added.
Mr. Behera additionally pointed to the illustration of marginalised communities at IIT Mandi throughout his tenure, claiming that when he joined the institute, there have been no college members from the OBC, SC and ST communities and that their numbers had since elevated considerably.
{An electrical} engineering professor whose areas of specialisation embody robotics and synthetic intelligence, Behera has courted controversy over his views prior to now.
In 2023, he requested college students to pledge to not eat meat whereas claiming that landslides and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh had been occurring due to cruelty to animals. A yr earlier, quickly after his appointment as IIT Mandi director, a video surfaced through which Mr. Behera claimed to have helped rid a pal’s household of “evil spirits” by chanting holy mantras.
IIT Mandi’s Indian Information System and Psychological Well being Functions Centre additionally organised a convention in June that includes classes on the Bhagavad Gita, Ayurveda and reincarnation, amongst different topics. Behera, who was one of many common chairs of the convention, was additionally a co-organiser of a session titled “Reincarnation, OBEs and afterlife communication”.
Printed – September 06, 2026 04:44 pm IST
