The Indian Institute of Mass Communication has suspended a student from the institute’s hostel for three weeks for making derogatory remarks against the Dalit and Adivasi communities on a social networking website. The Indian Express reported that Utkarsh Singh was suspended after an inquiry committee found that the language used by him was “offensive, grossly provocative, insulting and unparliamentary”.

“The matter has been considered and it is felt that your posts resulted in a great deal of dissatisfaction and unrest within the IIMC campus. Your actions are not in keeping with the standards of conduct expected from a student of the institute and is reprehensible,” IIMC’s Deputy Registrar PVK Raja wrote to the Hindi journalism student.

This comes a month after 17 students belonging to the SC/ST/OBC communities approached the Information and Broadcasting Ministry against the posts. The ministry, which controls the institution, had formed a committee to look into the matter. The committee also suspended a Dalit student from the English journalism department who was among the students who approached the ministry. The panel expelled Prashant Kanojia from the institute's residential complex for a week for using expletives against a senior faculty member during a WhatsApp chat, reported the Times of India.