The matter of termination has been forwarded to the Senate as per rules. The Senate meeting is on 21 September. My own prediction is that the matter will not be discussed in Senate on that day. If it indeed gets discussed, the chances are that the disciplinary committee (SSAC) will be asked to carry out additional due diligence. The Director cannot afford to let Senate rusticate 22 students, since he does not have the time to come back to the Senate a few months after and undo the suspension.

The other issue is that of the second year students who think that they are well wishers of the first year students. In my interaction with the first years, I always tell them to avoid seeking any advice from 2nd year students. They are very immature, and have really not experienced enough to answer questions of 1st year students.

I always advise them to contact 3rd or 4th year students. When I was at LNMIIT, we made sure that 1st year students lived in the same hostel as 3rd year students. At IIIT-D too, when a mentorship program was being designed, it was decided that only 3rd and 4th year students should be mentors. Once the first year students have spent a few months on campus, they would know which 2nd year student can give good advice (and of course, 2nd year students will also mature as weeks and months pass by).

Lately, I am interacting with many folks from IIT Gandhinagar, Ashoka University and IIIT Delhi, and I find that in all these places, the relationships across batches are far stronger and more mature than relationships at IIT Kanpur, and all these three places have no ragging. So this whole thesis that ragging is good for first year students and there is no better way to forge friendships is plain and simple bull***t.

IIT Kanpur has no option but to become a ragging free zone again.