What triggered the IIT Delhi caste-race conference controversy?

The event, held Jan 16-18, 2026, featured sessions linking caste to race and global issues, plus links to a 2023 HSS paper on Kashmir.

Who authored the controversial Kashmir research paper?

Nazia Amin, then IIT Delhi HSS researcher, titled it 'Tyranny of Indian Nationalism and Resistance in Kashmir'. It uses Freud/Iqbal to critique state actions. Academic CV tips .

What is CPCR at IIT Delhi?

Critical Philosophy of Caste and Race, an HSS research group organizing annual conferences on caste-racism intersections since 2024.

Who organized the conference?

Prof. Divya Dwivedi (IIT Delhi HSS) chaired it, with co-organizer Sowjanya Tamalapakula. Speakers included Equality Labs' Thenmozhi Soundararajan.

What was IIT Delhi's response?

Formed a fact-finding committee to probe speakers/content, emphasizing academic integrity and national goals.

Why link Dalits to Palestinians?

A session explored shared 'necropolitics' – state violence on marginalized groups – drawing global anti-oppression parallels.

Criticisms of ideological bias?

Accusations of anti-India narratives, ignoring terrorism/Pandit exodus, using taxpayer funds for activism.

Defenses against the probe?

Academics call it mob censorship stifling caste critique, vital for Ambedkar's vision.

Implications for IIT humanities?

Risks self-censorship, need for balanced peer review. Check Rate My Professor .

Future for such debates in India?

Calls for hybrid Indian-Western frameworks, diverse oversight. Explore higher ed jobs .

Kashmir context post-2019?

Article 370 abrogation led to security gains, tourism boom, but human rights concerns persist.

IIT Delhi Caste-Race Conference Controversy

grayscale photo of people walking on street near building — Photo by Tanu Bhatt on Unsplash

The recent uproar at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi surrounding a conference on caste and race has thrust the institution into the national spotlight, particularly due to a research paper that frames India as an oppressor in Kashmir. This controversy highlights deeper tensions in Indian higher education between academic freedom, ideological perspectives, and national sensitivities. As a premier engineering institute funded by taxpayers, IIT Delhi's hosting of such events has sparked debates on whether taxpayer money should support discussions perceived as politically charged.

🔬 Origins of the Critical Philosophy of Caste and Race Conference

The conference in question, titled "Critical Philosophy of Caste and Race (CPCR3): Celebrating 25 Years of Durban: Indian Contributions to Combatting Caste and Racism," took place from January 16 to 18, 2026, at IIT Delhi's Senate Hall. Organized by the Critical Philosophy of Caste and Race (CPCR) research group within the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), it marked the third edition of the event, following iterations in 2024 and 2025. Chaired by Prof. Divya Dwivedi, an HSS faculty member, and co-organized by Sowjanya Tamalapakula from Woxsen University, the gathering drew on the 2001 World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) in Durban, South Africa, where caste discrimination was equated with racism by some activists.

Sessions explored intersections of caste, race, gender, and global inequalities, including "What’s Common Between Dalits and Palestinians?" and "Necropolitics." Keynote speakers included Ruth Manorama, Shailaja Paik, Paul Divakar, and Thenmozhi Soundararajan from Equality Labs, a US-based organization advocating for Dalit rights internationally. The event also featured a book launch on "Tamil Buddhism and Brahmanism in Modern India" and a film screening. Proponents viewed it as essential for addressing persistent caste-based discrimination in India, where Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) still face barriers despite constitutional safeguards like reservations.

📄 Spotlight on the Kashmir Research Paper

Central to the row is a 2023 research paper titled "Tyranny of Indian Nationalism and Resistance in Kashmir: Reading a Kashmiri Narrative with Iqbal and Freud," authored by Nazia Amin during her time as a doctoral researcher in IIT Delhi's HSS department. Now an Assistant Professor at BML Munjal University, Amin's work, published online in March 2023 in the Springer journal *Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society*, employs Freudian psychoanalysis and Muhammad Iqbal's philosophy to critique Indian nationalism in Kashmir.

Abstract of Nazia Amin's research paper on Kashmir from IIT Delhi HSS

The paper depicts Indian nationalism as a "coercive and violent force" that "violently extracts identification and obedience" from Kashmiris, likening the Indian state to Freud's "primal father" demanding submission from "non-consenting Kashmiri subjects." Kashmiri resistance is romanticized as "disidentification" – a psychic rejection of Indian identity. Critics argue it overlooks Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits (over 300,000 displaced in the 1990s), and Article 370's abrogation in 2019, which integrated Jammu and Kashmir fully into India amid improved security metrics: terrorist incidents dropped 70% from 2018-2024 per government data.

While not presented at CPCR3, the paper's affiliation with IIT Delhi HSS links it to the conference's ecosystem, fueling accusations of a pattern in humanities scholarship.

🚨 Wave of Criticisms and Social Media Storm

The backlash erupted on X (formerly Twitter), with right-wing commentators labeling the conference "anti-national" and "woke indoctrination." Former CBI Interim Director M. Nageswara Rao IPS wrote to IIT Delhi Director Prof. Rangan Banerjee, demanding the CPCR group's disbandment, faculty discipline, and funding probes, calling it an "anti-Hindu deep state initiative." Organiser.org articles questioned if IITs, meant for tech excellence, were becoming ideological hubs, citing Prof. Dwivedi's past statements like envisioning an "India without Hinduism" and labeling RSS "fascist."

Selective narratives ignoring terrorism and Pandit genocide.
Taxpayer misuse: IIT Delhi's Rs. 2,500 crore+ annual budget from public funds.
Parallels to JNU controversies, eroding institute meritocracy.

Trending posts amplified demands for balance, with users like @MehHarshil highlighting the Kashmir paper as promoting separatism.

🛡️ Defenses from Academia: Academic Freedom at Stake?

Supporters decry the probe as mob censorship. Siddharth Varadarajan (The Wire) called it kowtowing to an "ignorant mob" wedded to caste hierarchy. Hartosh Singh Bal (The Caravan) slammed it as WhatsApp-driven, while Subhajit Naskar deemed it "outrageous." Countercurrents.org argued caste critique connects to global oppressions like apartheid, essential for Ambedkarite goals of annihilation of caste.

Defenders note all speakers had clearances, emphasizing philosophy's role in questioning power structures. Yet, they acknowledge need for contextual balance on Kashmir's security evolution post-2019.Crafting a strong academic CV can help scholars navigate such debates professionally.

🏛️ IIT Delhi's Official Response and Probe

IIT Delhi acknowledged "serious concerns" over speakers and content, seeking faculty explanations and forming an independent fact-finding committee. Director Banerjee emphasized commitment to "national goals, academic integrity, and guidelines." No rules violations admitted yet, but outcomes pending. This mirrors past probes at IITs/JNU, balancing freedom with accountability.

IIT Delhi HSS Department

👥 Key Figures in the Spotlight

Prof. Divya Dwivedi, central organizer, specializes in political philosophy but faces scrutiny for views like Hinduism's 20th-century "invention" to mask caste. Nazia Amin's paper exemplifies HSS outputs. Equality Labs' Soundararajan pushes caste as race globally, influencing UN discourse.

Prof. Divya Dwivedi at IIT Delhi CPCR conference

🎓 Implications for Indian Higher Education

This row underscores challenges in IIT humanities depts., where tech dominance meets social sciences. UGC's 2026 anti-discrimination rules aim to curb caste bias but spark inclusion debates. Impacts include faculty chill, enrollment dips in HSS (5-10% nationally), and calls for diverse peer review.Explore professor jobs amid evolving academia.

Risk of self-censorship in sensitive topics.
Need for multi-perspective funding oversight.
Boost to Rate My Professor for transparency.

🌍 Caste-Race Nexus: Historical and Global Context

India's caste system, rooted in varna (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra) per ancient texts, affects 200M+ Dalits via discrimination despite 75% literacy rise (2011-2021 Census). Durban equated it to racism; Ambedkar advocated annihilation. Kashmir: Post-370, tourism surged 200%, schools reopened. Balanced scholarship requires addressing both oppression histories and progress.

🔮 Future Outlook and Constructive Solutions

Probe outcomes could set precedents: enhanced event vetting, diversity mandates. Recommendations: Hybrid models blending Indian philosophy (Vedanta, Nyaya) with critical theory; stakeholder dialogues; UGC guidelines for neutrality. For academics, higher ed career advice stresses balanced research. Institutions like IITs can lead by fostering inclusive discourse, aiding national unity. Explore higher ed jobs, rate professors, university jobs.