BANAE Urges President to Block Prof. Dinesh Kumar’s Appointment as IIM Bangalore Director-in-Charge Amid Caste Discrimination Allegations

New Delhi- The Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar National Association of Engineers (BANAE) has written to the President of India and Vineet Joshi, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, urging immediate intervention to prevent the appointment of Prof. Dinesh Kumar as Director-in-Charge of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB).

Prof. Dinesh Kumar, currently Dean (Faculty) at IIM Bangalore, is reportedly under consideration for the role, with internal sources suggesting his appointment is finalized, though no official announcement or updates have been published on the IIMB website.

The letter, signed by BANAE National President Nagsen Sonare, cites Prof. Kumar’s involvement in a pending FIR (No. 0467/2024) at Mico Layout Police Station, Bengaluru, under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, as grounds for his unsuitability for the role.

This development comes as IIMB prepares for a leadership transition following reports that the Ministry of Education has likely directed current Director Prof. Rishikesha T. Krishnan to withdraw from the interview process for his continuation, with his tenure ending on July 31.

The Mooknayak had emailed Prof. Krishnan to seek his official stance on the reported denial of his continuation but we have received no response so far.

In their letter, BANAE highlights that Prof. Dinesh Kumar is a named accused in FIR No. 0467/2024 following an investigation report by the the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE), Special Crime Branch, Karnataka Police. The DCRE's investigation (Report No. 86/HP/DCRE/2024) found prima facie evidence of caste-based atrocities and violations of the constitutional rights of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) faculty and students by Prof. Kumar and Prof. Krishnan, among others.

The FIR registered by the Bengaluru Police names eight accused including IIM Bangalore Director Dr. Rishikesh T. Krishnan and 7 Professors - Dr. Dinesh Kumar, Dr. Sainesh G, Dr. Srinivas Prakhya, Dr. Chetan Subramanian, Dr. Ashish Mishra, Dr. Srilatha Jonnalagedda and Dr. Rahul De. These individuals stand accused under various provisions of the SC-ST Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for caste-based atrocities and systemic discrimination.

BANAE argues that appointing Prof. Kumar as Director-in-Charge, reportedly under consideration from July 20, would:

• Create a serious conflict of interest and compromise ongoing judicial and administrative proceedings.

• Violate the intent of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

• Undermine public trust in IIMB’s governance and the impartiality of the President’s office.

• Contravene the principles of natural justice, accountability, and the IIM (Amendment) Act, 2023, which mandates that interim appointments be free of taint.

The organization has urged the President and the Ministry of Education to direct the IIMB Board of Governors to appoint an untainted senior faculty member as Director-in-Charge to ensure institutional neutrality and public confidence.

Given that nearly 50% of the student body at IIM Bangalore belongs to marginalized communities, Bahujan activists believe that this decision raises significant ethical and moral concerns. It is essential that institutional leadership reflect a commitment to constitutional values, social justice, and the creation of a safe and inclusive environment for all members of the IIMB community.