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32  Ethics and Code of Conduct

Keywords

IITB ethics, IIT Bombay code of conduct, academic integrity, conflict of interest, faculty misconduct

As a faculty member of a premier Institute of the country, you are always under public scrutiny. It is necessary to maintain a high degree of decorum and integrity at all times. Clearly, it is not possible to give a complete list of what is acceptable and what is not. This section, therefore, deals only with such items as we believe you should be well informed about.

32.1 Matters of general conduct

  1. Dealing with the Press: Much as we like to see our name in print, the only place where your printed name can freely appear without raising eyebrows (or may be raising eyebrows in an agreeable way!) is in a professional journal. You do not need to take any permission to send a technical manuscript for publication. If what you are writing or talking about is of literary, artistic or scientific value only, you may even write to newspapers or periodicals. However, talking to the press (this includes all forms of interaction with print and electronic media) on any other matter should generally be avoided, and left to functionaries in the Main Building. If you would like to express your views on an issue, you need to take the Director’s permission. If you want to have a press coverage of your published scientific article, you need to contact PRO after taking permission from the Director.
  2. Joining a political party or canvassing in an election is banned. (You can, of course, contest an election in a professional body.)
  3. Criticism of the Institute in any mass media (print or electronic) is not permitted. This circular details this aspect in connection to the service rules. (To give vent to your frustration if any, the Computer Centre of the Institute has provided a discussion group called the ‘discuss-faculty’ where you can write and engage your colleagues in a debate on matters about which you feel strongly. This newsgroup is not moderated but it is good to use restrained language).
  4. Redressal of Grievances:: If you have a grievance, try to sort it out by meeting the concerned Dean, the Deputy Directors or the Director. If you would like to make a written representation, the first course is the Director. If his response leaves you dissatisfied, you may make representation to the Chairperson of the Board. Such representation should go through, Head, concerned Dean, Director and the Chairperson in that order. In extreme cases, you may take your grievance to the Visitor (who is the President of India). However, in all cases, you should go through what is known as proper channel, that is, route all your representation through HOD, Director and the Chairperson, in that order. The forwarding authority does not have the right to stop your representation being forwarded upwards excepting in circumstances such as (i) a similar petition made earlier has been disposed of and no new facts are brought out in the new petition, (ii) your representation is not to the appropriate authority, or (iii) the petition is against a decision which is final by any law or statute. In such cases, the appropriate authority will write you a reply explaining the reasons why your petition may not be forwarded.
  5. You may, of course, seek to redress grievances in a court of law without any permission. However, it is in good taste to first exhaust all possibilities of finding a solution to your problems within the internal framework as stated above.
  6. Social media usage policy: Social media posts from IIT Bombay connected official accounts are governed by rules specified in this document.

32.2 Annual Immovable Property Return

All employees, including faculty members, must file an Immovable Property Return (IPR) every year for the preceding calendar year, even if they own no immovable property. File it online at my.iitb.ac.in under Employee → Claims; email and hard copies are not accepted. Anyone who misses the deadline is denied vigilance clearance. (Source: Circular No. Administration/2026 dated 15.01.2026.)

32.3 Medical activities and research involving people

Medical testing, research with human participants and the collection of biological samples all need prior approval, including clearance from the relevant ethics committee. The Institute Hospital must be informed and involved in any medical activity concerning students. External laboratories or medical service providers can be engaged only with the necessary permissions and in line with Institute guidelines. Obtain informed consent, and do not subject anyone to testing or intervention without authorization. (Source: Circular No. REG/C-11/2026 dated 31.08.2026.)

Submit proposals to the Institute Ethics Committee (IEC), Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institute Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) through the Drona portal.

32.4 Joint Standing Committee

A Joint Standing Committee addresses complaints from faculty and staff. Its members are the Deputy Directors, the Dean (Faculty), the Dean (AA) and the Registrar. The Dean (Faculty) convenes it for complaints that originate from a faculty member or involve only faculty, and the President of the Faculty Forum is invited when a complaint involves faculty. (Source: Office Order No. AO/LU/JSC/2025 dated 24.01.2025.)

32.5 Periodic review under FR 56(J)/(I)

The Board of Governors, in its 271st meeting on 6 December 2024, adopted the provisions of FR 56(J)/(I) and Rule 42 of the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021. Institute employees are periodically reviewed on the following parameters: doubtful integrity, ineffectiveness, and conduct unbecoming of a Government servant. Heads of Departments/Sections periodically review employees on these parameters and forward any such cases to the concerned authority.

32.6 Sexual Harassment and Gender Cell

As a teacher you would interact with a lot of students, who would be male, female or those of gender and sexual minorities. Likewise, you would interact with colleagues and other staff belonging to different sexes. In many cases, you would have a supervisory role in the interaction. Your behaviour in all such interactions must be impeccable. Please remember that they have a right to a place of work or study where they do not face sexual harassment in any form - and you have a responsibility to provide it. You are also responsible for the conduct of the staff and students who are working in your supervision and ensuring that they do not indulge in any acts of sexual harassment. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 defines sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual behaviour, whether directly or by implication, such as through:

  • physical contact and advances
  • demand or request for sexual favours
  • sexually colored remarks (this includes colored jokes in a mixed company, or a class room, or even within hearing distance of the complainant)
  • showing pornography
  • any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.

A more comprehensive definition of sexual harassment can be found in the IITB policy on sexual harassment here.

A victim of sexual harassment (or one who perceives sexual harassment to oneself) may lodge a complaint to the Gender Cell Internal Complaints Committee (GC-ICC), the Director, Deputy Director or to the Dean (FA), in addition to seeking redress under the Indian Penal Code. Students can also take their complaint to the Dean (SA).

Any woman can approach the Gender Cell for complaints against a member of the Institute (employee or student) regarding workplace related harassment. In addition, the Gender Cell can also be approached by a male student or a student belonging to sexual minorities for complaints against a male student or employee, when the sexual harassment is alleged to have taken place within the campus or the workplace. The Gender Cell inquires into sexual harassment complaints through its ICC. An inquiry by the ICC has the status of an official inquiry under the Civil Service Rules, and employees have to cooperate with the Cell in its investigations. In addition, sexual harassment is an offence under rule 3C of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules. More details about the Gender Cell may be found here; links to the IIT Bombay policy document, the Sexual Harassment at the Workplace Act, and a government handbook on sexual harassment, are given here.

The Gender Cell at IIT Bombay has developed an online training on gender issues, sexual harassment and role of consent in the work place. The course also gives an overview of the process at IIT Bombay to address sexual harassment. Every faculty is required to do this training at the earliest. It is available on the internal Moodle.

32.7 SC/ST Students Cell

The SC/ST students cell addresses difficulties faced by SC/ST students at IIT Bombay. The activities of the cell are broadly as follows:

  • Issues pertaining to SC/ST students’ well-being like academic and scholarship matters,
  • Awareness and sensitization of IITB community about reservation and caste-related aspects,
  • Receive and act on grievances and caste-based-discrimination complaints as per prevalent law/procedures.

As a faculty member, you would interact with many students and the institute maintains a policy of not revealing the birth category of the students to teachers. It is important to maintain an atmosphere that is inclusive and conducive to interaction. The students we interact with come from varied social and economic backgrounds, and students look up to the faculty members as role-models. Below are some points to keep in mind during your interactions with students; note that most of the points listed below are applicable to all students, and not just SC/ST students.

  • It is inappropriate to opine negatively about any group of students. It is befitting to speak to students solely as individuals and in a calm and composed way, without associating him/her to any larger group. Generalised phrases like “those people” or “students like you” get perceived as targeted at specific groups, and are hence improper.
  • A student may have experienced discrimination in the past on the basis of caste or other social background, and a seemingly innocuous remark could be very hurtful to such a person.
  • Communication with casteist undertones is prohibited: whether told casually or expressed formally, whether told in official capacity or in personal capacity, whether initiated oneself or forwarded/re-posted, orally or in print/digital/ social media.
  • Faculty members should not make remarks that ridicule the policy of reservation; such remarks can be extremely hurtful to those who have availed reservation, in addition to potentially violating the code of conduct.
  • Some academic options such as exit degrees may be viewed as undesirable by students. While it is OK to mention an exit degree as an option, you should be sure to list all the other options, and leave the decision to the student/parents, without pressurizing them in any way. Recommending it, instead of suggesting it as an option, may be done by a committee, not by an individual.
  • When you tell a student that you will recommend waivers/exemptions, please keep in mind that your statement should not sound like a guarantee, and you should explain who is the decision making authority.
  • In all communication, it is important to have empathy with the student, and recognize that the student may have numerous challenges beyond their control, and which you are not aware of.

The above guidelines can help to avoid incidents that may make a student feel discriminated against. However, if any person does feel discriminated against and files a complaint, the institute must stay neutral and follow due procedures. The institute takes a strong stand against discrimination of all forms and will take necessary/appropriate action in both letter and spirit after an enquiry following standard procedures. With the above points kept in mind, we are sure that all our student-interactions would be healthy and fruitful to us faculty-members, the students and the institute.

32.8 Plagiarism

Being an Institute of excellence, the Institute takes a very serious view of any act of plagiarism. While the penal codes are silent on it, there are guidelines issued by National Academies on what constitutes plagiarism. In technical publications, all joint authors are responsible equally for any offence of plagiarism. Punishment can be severe, including termination of service.

32.9 Consultancy ethics

Do not pay honoraria from your consultancy projects to your spouse, children or close relatives, or use their services on your own projects. This is a direct conflict of interest and is not allowed.

Private consultancy is a serious breach of the code of conduct. Similarly, you should not take up remunerative assignments outside the Institute without explicit permission from the Institute. You should also not accept assignments in a Tutorial organization either as a consultant or for direct teaching.

In case you wish to participate in an external engagement of any kind (say with another university, industry or any other individual or organisation), it is mandatory to take permission or obtain a no-objection from the Dean (FA) to do so. Most reasonable requests are generally accepted, but breach of procedure is taken seriously by the Institute.