Posters indicating separate washbasins, entrances, and utensils in an IIT-Madras campus mess has sparked an outrage among the students. They termed it “caste discrimination” and questioned the regressive culture of one of the top institutions of the country.

A progressive Dalit organization called ‘The Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle’ posted their opinion on the subject, titling it “Untouchability continues at IIT Madras!”, angered by the partition of vegetarian and non-vegetarian students in the mess after they put up posters announcing separate entrances and hand wash for the two kinds.

“Upper-caste households in India would usually have two entrances - one for the upper castes and the other one in the back for the "impure" lower castes. A mess in IIT Madras is now having the same system,” the post read.

After the issue was brought to the notice of the Mess Monitoring Committee (MMC), the posters were taken down, and the hostel affairs secretary sent a clarification mail to the students offering an apology for the inconvenience caused.