The teachers of IIT Kharagpur have written to the Union education minister to keep in mind while appointing a new director early next year that a person with high academic repute as well as "experience in practising inclusive governance" should be considered for the post.

The IIT Kharagpur Teachers' Association said their experience with the present director had prompted them to approach the ministry.

The tenure of the present director, V.K. Tewari, is poised to end in January next year.

The teachers in their September 20 letter accused the existing director of "nepotism", "arbitrary faculty recruitment", "failure in starting multispeciality hospital and external campus" and "vitiating the harmony between campus and neighbourhood community".

The letter elaborates on the allegations and says: "The above examples are just the tip of the iceberg. It shows what happens when an incapable person becomes the director...."

"Now we wish that you will take appropriate steps to bring back the previous glory of IIT Kharagpur by selecting a director of high academic repute and experience in practising inclusive governance..."

Director Tewari did not respond to requests for a reaction to the allegations.

The institute said in a release on Saturday: "IIT Kharagpur abides by the statutes and norms of the Institute recruitment rules in reference to the individual credibility of the candidates applying for various positions. A committee comprising of a qualified cadre of people take a collective decision on the recruitment process, irrespective of any influence from individual capacity."

The teachers' letter is signed by Amal Das, the general secretary, and other office bearers of the association.

The teachers have said that though there was no provision for taking the opinion of the teachers, staff and students while deciding on a new director, the circumstances had forced them to write to the minister.

"IIT Kharagpur is poised to get a new director in January 2025. At present there is no provision to take the opinions/ views of teachers/staff and students of IIT Kharagpur in the final decision-making process. As a result, the governance of IIT Kharagpur, at times, became unilateral, uncooperative and hard-headed, disregarding the wishes and aspirations of teachers, staff and students. This has caused serious damage to the high repute of the institute in the last five years."

The letter says "nepotism" has been "at its worst" during the five-year tenure of present director.

It also alleges that "arbitrariness and vindictiveness in the faculty selection process" had forced several "faculty members to leave the institute".

"Many young, bright candidates are hesitant to apply and join the institute," the teachers wrote.

The teachers alleged that the director failed to operationalise a super-speciality hospital built with good infrastructure on the campus in the hope that the IIT community and people around Kharagpur would benefit. "As a whole, neither the hospital nor the medical college could start due to mismanagement..." the teachers alleged.

The teachers have accused the director of failing to create an overseas campus of the institute in Malaysia despite being asked by the ministry.