Student claims partial withdrawal of his IIM-B email putting his career at risk

The 29-year-old student of Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B), who was expelled from campus following complaints of misconduct now claims that the institution's move has jeopardized his career.

The MBA student claimed that the institute has terminated his email id, he has not been able to keep a tab on the offers coming his way. The final year student claims he was offered a job by a premiere firm but is now unable to communicate with them and the process is hence stuck in a limbo. However, IIM-B authorities said only facilities to shoot out emails were blocked, and that the student still receives emails on the id.

The student’s email id was blocked after he had sent out personal, non-academic mails to his batch mates to ensure his grievances are heard. IIM-B officials stated that they suspended the email id at the behest of the members of the student body, since it is against prevailing rules to use the college mail id for non-academic purposes.

In a letter handed to him by the authorities, it is mentioned that following complaints received from several students and an alleged misconduct in the campus on February 9, they decided to ask him to leave the campus. The student claims he had only raised his voice against fellow students because he wasn’t being able to focus on his studies due to the ruckus created outside.

He was allowed to stay on after he pointed out the impending exams. But, there was another complaint of misconduct against him, this time from the residents of the girl’s hostel, and he was expelled from the campus completely. Nonetheless, the institute states he was not barred from taking part in any academic activity.

IIM-B authorities said: "He wrote the first examination with all other students, but requested separate seating for the second examination, which we provided him. For the third and last exam, we arranged for a computer in the computer centre for him to take the examination, but he declined."

Commenting on the allegations that he was not even provided adequate stationery by the staff to write his exams, the institute stated: “It is beyond anyone’s imagination that IIM-B cannot provide stationery to students writing an examination. It is from his emailed answer to the Program Office that we learnt of the manner in which he had chosen to answer his exam.”

Speaking on the student’s claim that he was not allowed to take part in group discussions and presentations, the official said: “It is not correct to state that he was not allowed to take part in academic activities. Based on a written complaint from his fellow students and the student body, IIMB asked him to vacate the hostel and stay with the parents but continue all academic activities. His group members have helped him by providing him with all the project details and submission deadlines.  There was absolutely no restriction on his academic activity.”

The student also junked media reports published by a leading English daily which stated he suffers from poor mental health but didn’t get adequate support from college authorities. However, he claimed that he approached the counsellor attached to the institute on the insistence of college authorities, but no one was available to tend to him. IIM-B authorities mentioned that they extended all required support to him, informed his parents and had them come over to take care of him too.

They also said the institute has a professional counsellor and appointments were fixed for the student with the counsellor, but he allegedly skipped the appointments.