The Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IITGN) and the Ministry of Education are under intense public scrutiny following revelations of a discreet faculty appointment, which critics are labeling as politically motivated and lacking in transparency.
The institute has been mired in controversy for the past few years especially with the Humanities department indulging in pushing Islamist agenda, appointing anti-nationals and supporters of terrorists and separatists.
The controversy centers on the appointment of 77-year-old theatre personality and activist, MK Raina, to a position at the institute. Documents and social media evidence suggest that Raina was appointed as an “artist-in-residence” in September 2025, but this information was conspicuously absent from the institute’s official website, leading to allegations of a deliberate attempt to avoid public accountability.
Do you want a job at an IIT but you are 77 years old, have no qualifications and afraid nobody will just give you taxpayer money?
Worry not, just write a mercy petition for a terrorist who has killed atleast a 100 Hindus, have standards guys, and IIT Gandhinagar will give you a… pic.twitter.com/e1l5ZRSjG7
— Eminent Intellectual (@total_woke_) November 6, 2025
The appointment has sparked a fierce backlash, primarily due to Raina’s well-documented political stances and past activities. Critics have pointed to two key issues:
1. Mercy Petition for Yakub Memon
In July 2015, Raina was a prominent signatory on a petition to the President of India, pleading for clemency for Yakub Memon, who was convicted and executed for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. The petition, signed by nearly 300 individuals from various fields, argued that the death sentence was “grossly unfair, arbitrary, and excessive.” This action proves that he is a terrorist sympathiser.
2. Negative Propaganda Against Modi Govt
In a detailed 2016 interview, Raina offered sharp criticism of the Modi government, stating, “This government wants to make us brain-dead.” He elaborated on his views, expressing concern over what he perceived as the suppression of dissent, the weakening of institutions, and a rising atmosphere of intolerance. He criticized the government’s handling of the JNU protests, the silencing of rationalist voices, and alleged that the regime was “breaking institutions.” Raina also predicted internal dissent within the BJP would challenge the current order.
Critics have drawn a comparison with other recent appointments, citing names such as filmmaker Don Chacko Palathara alleging a pattern of controversial hires at IIT Gandhinagar and calling for greater transparency about selection criteria and conflict-of-interest checks.
“[Modi] government wants to make us braindead.”
77 y/o artist faculty of IIT Gandhinagar- MK Raina.
Using our tax money, IITGn appointed him in September.
IITGn didn’t make his brilliant credentials public. But let me do so.
He wrote mercy petitions for Yakub Menon. He also… pic.twitter.com/zyN7zYKXg3
— Harshil (હર્ષિલ) (@MehHarshil) November 6, 2025
Questions raised publicly include why a 77-year-old with a primarily artistic background was given a faculty post in a premier technological institute, and whether the institution followed its advertised recruitment norms.
His recent appointment is now mired in a political firestorm. The core questions remain unanswered by the authorities: Why was the appointment not publicly disclosed? What are the specific criteria and justification for appointing a 77-year-old activist to a faculty position at a premier technological institute?
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