{
  "id": 12523933,
  "title": "At IITs, a long-brewing ‘culture war’ between engineering and humanities boils over",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/at-iits-a-long-brewing-culture-war-between-engineering-and-humanities",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T02:30:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Ken",
    "slug": "the-ken",
    "url": "https://the-ken.com/story/at-iits-a-long-brewing-culture-war-between-engineering-and-humanities-boils-over/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), a cultural divide has surfaced between engineering and humanities students, leading to a heated \"culture war.\" This conflict erupted at IIT Bombay following the suicide of a student, Sahil Wakode, triggering protests led primarily by humanities and social sciences (HSS) doctoral students. These students argued against a professor who faced a charge under the SC/ST Act. The protests culminated in the professor losing his position and being placed on leave. Meanwhile, engineering students perceived these protests as disruptive, asserting their campus as a place for STEM and management excellence. The campus is split, with student councils distancing themselves from disruptive protests, leading to a standoff between the two groups.",
  "summary": "The post At IITs, a long-brewing ‘culture war’ between engineering and humanities boils over appeared first on The Ken .",
  "key_points": [
    "Cultural divide between engineering and humanities students at IITs.",
    "Protests over professor's charge under SC/ST Act led by HSS students.",
    "Engineering students view protests as disruptive to STEM and management focus."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The widening rift between engineering and humanities students at IITs signals a deeper struggle for dominance in campus culture, pitting academic disciplines against each other and fracturing student unity.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}