Manipal Institute of Technology debars teacher from classes for making inflammatory remarks against a student

A viral video shows a student countering and objecting to the teacher’s allegedly inflammatory remarks

Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), under Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), has debarred one of its staff members from classes till an ongoing inquiry, in connection with an incident where he allegedly made inflammatory remarks about a Muslim student, is completed.

A video pertaining to the incident inside the classroom — where the student is seen taking serious exception to the teacher’s allegedly inflammatory remarks, and countering them — had been widely shared on social media. The teacher is also heard apologising to the student in the video.

Sources said the student is in first year engineering, and the incident took place last week.

A tweet from MIT Manipal said: “The institute has already initiated an inquiry into the incident and the concerned staff has been debarred from classes till the inquiry is over. We would like everyone to know that the institute does not condone this kind of behaviour and this isolated incident will be dealt with in accordance with the laid down policy. The institute prides itself with one of the biggest diversity on campus and is committed to uphold our Constitutional values of treating everyone alike, irrespective of their caste, religion, region, gender etc.”

Meanwhile, the Udupi unit of the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) has condemned the incident.

It said education institutes should not become a place for promoting hate. Instead, they should emerge as the campuses for bridging cordial relations and mutual trust, the Udupi unit president Afwan B. Hoode said.

“The particular incident will undermine the spirit of the Constitution. All people in the country have an equal right to get educated without any biases related to caste and religion. Biased mindset and immature move of some of the teachers will only increase the insecurity among minority community students,” it said.