Caste poster at IIT-Mandi collides with scientific worldview
A poster at IIT-Mandi reviving caste-based roles clashes with constitutional equality and scientific understanding of human development.
A poster that appeared at IIT-Mandi on September 4, 2026, has reignited a debate about caste and science. The notice described the traditional roles of the four varnas — Brahmanas as messengers of god, Kshatriyas as protectors of society, Vaishyas as drivers of the economy, and Shudras as servants of the higher classes.
The framing draws from the normative system of the Manusmriti, which holds that birth determines a person's social function, relationships, and rights. This stands in contrast to modern constitutional thought, which attaches fundamental rights to individuals and citizens rather than inherited social roles.
Science offers a different lens. While some defenders of caste have claimed biological basis for the hierarchy, research suggests the system itself creates differences. Studies on social determinants of health show caste-related inequities in healthcare access, while social epigenetics reveals that social circumstances can alter gene regulation.
A landmark 2009 genetic study found that most present-day Indians descend from two ancient populations that mixed extensively before endogamy took hold. Subsequent endogamy has produced substantial genetic differences between communities and strong founder effects. The genome records social choices, not divine ordination.
The human nervous system is similarly plastic, rewiring itself in response to experience throughout life. This plasticity means abilities develop through the interaction of environment, interest, and choice — not ancestry.
Caste-based discrimination also constrains culture itself. Homo sapiens uniquely accumulate and transmit knowledge across generations. Restricting the spread of knowledge based on ritual status narrows the range over which this defining human capacity can operate.
The appearance of such a message at a centre of scientific learning is particularly incongruous, given that science — which underpins the technologies IITs pursue — offers no support for inherited social hierarchies.