The Indian Institute of Technology-Bhubaneswar has asked its employees not to make any statement or publish opinion in media which could embarrass relations between the institute and the Central government or any State government.
The IIT-Bhubaneswar directed its faculties and staff not to interact with print or electronic media without prior approval of the competent authority.
“No employee shall, in any media activity or in any document published anonymously or in own name or in the name of any other person or in any communication to the media or in any public utterance, make any statement of fact or opinion,” said a circular issued by IIT-Bhubaneswar Registrar.
The August 19 circular says no employee should go public with opinion which is capable of embarrassing the relations between the institute and the Central government or any State government or any other institute or organisation or members of the public.
Employees are also not entitled to give opinion which has the effect of an adverse criticism of any current or recent policy or action of the institute, says the order.
The IIT-Bhubaneswar, however, has not put any restriction if media participation or contribution is of a purely literary, artistic or scientific character.
The staff is at liberty, without any sanction, to publish their original scientific, literary or artistic works, the order clarifies.
The institute said it was invoking conduct rules stipulated under Schedule ‘C’ of its statute as it was found that some of the faculty and staff were interacting with the print and electronic media without any prior approval of the competent authority, which was capable of creating embarrassment to the institute in various matters.
