New York: An Indian-origin student pursuing PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been suspended until January 2026 following his pro-Palestinian activism and is currently appealing the university's decision.
Prahlad Iyengar, also a National Science Foundation fellow, has been "suspended until January 2026," according to a post on X by a group called 'MIT Coalition Against Apartheid'.
This suspension effectively terminates Iyengar's five-year NSF fellowship and severely disrupts his academic career, the organization said in the post.
It added that Iyengar, a PhD student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, is "now appealing the decision" to the Chancellor at MIT Wednesday, the "last opportunity to end this persecution and restore academic dignity.
"This decision is the harshest among several sanctions resulting from speech-related activities, including an article" that Iyengar wrote for a student-run zine 'Written Revolution, "which engaged in debate about the role of pacifism in the pro-Palestine movement."
"This suspension is, in practice, an expulsion, as his readmission is entirely contingent upon approval from the same Committee on Discipline that handed down this harsh sanction," the body said.
Iyengar is appealing his case with the Chancellor to "revoke or reduce" the "unjust sanctions" against him.
MIT Coalition Against Apartheid said it has launched a campaign to "put pressure on MIT's administration to "stop criminalising students who stand on the right side of history."
The organization called on other institutions to support them.
