What is being chanted is not the Gayatri Mantra, not that there is anything wrong with it.
Mohamed questioned why the Gayatri Mantra would be played at an IIT convocation, while making it clear that she personally has no objection to hearing it.
“My cook plays the Gayatri Mantra every day when he enters my kitchen, and I listen to it every day and like it,” she said.
“But my question is: Why was the Gayatri Mantra played at an IIT convocation?
In the IIT Delhi controversy, the key question is simple: was the recitation actually the Gayatri Mantra?
A Sanskrit recitation at IIT Delhi’s recently concluded convocation has triggered a controversy, with Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed questioning why what she identified as the Gayatri Mantra was recited at an academic event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was attending the convocation, giving Mohamed’s remarks an added political context, with the criticism quickly being viewed by some as politicising what was otherwise an academic ceremony.
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Mohamed questioned the use of what she described as a religious chant at the convocation, but an IIT Kanpur alumnus has disputed her identification of the verses, saying the recitation was not the Gayatri Mantra at all.
The verses are from the ikvall of the Taittirya Upanishad, a section that deals with learning and the relationship between a teacher and student.
This distinction has now become central to the debate over what was actually recited at the IIT Delhi ceremony, and what the centuries-old verses mean.
The recitation includes the prayer: “Tan mm avatu, tad vaktram avatu” — may that protect me, and may that protect the teacher who teaches me. It means "...before knowledge is passed on, both the person seeking it and the person imparting it seek protection. The student and teacher are placed together in the same prayer."
WHAT DID SHAMA MOHAMED POST?
“I certainly don't want to pick a fight with your cook, but the fundamental premise of your post is factually incorrect. What is being chanted is not the Gayatri Mantra, not that there is anything wrong with it. As a proud IIT Kanpur alum, it is frustrating to see this,” Mehta said.
The exchange has shifted the focus from the broader question of religion in educational institutions to a more basic one. What exactly was recited at the IIT Delhi ceremony?
Mohamed questioned why the Gayatri Mantra would be played at an IIT convocation, while making it clear that she personally has no objection to hearing it. “My cook plays the Gayatri Mantra every day when he enters my kitchen, and I listen to it every day and like it,” she said.
She then questioned its presence at an academic ceremony. “But my question is: Why was the Gayatri Mantra played at an IIT convocation? It wasn’t a religious event. Our educational spaces should be free from religious slogans and chants of all religions,” she said.
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Her argument, therefore, has two parts: first, that the recitation was the Gayatri Mantra; and second, that such religious recitations should not form part of an academic ceremony. It is the first claim that Mehta has directly disputed.
IIT ALUMNUS CHALLENGES THE IDENTIFICATION
Mehta’s response is striking because he does not simply reject Mohamed’s secularism argument. Instead, he begins with what he considers a more fundamental problem: the recitation has been wrongly identified.
According to Mehta, the words heard during the ceremony were not the Gayatri Mantra. That means the controversy cannot simply be reduced to a political disagreement over whether religious material should be allowed at IITs. Before that debate can be settled, the actual content of the recitation has to be correctly identified.
His criticism also carries the perspective of an IIT alumnus who says he is proud of the institution and finds it frustrating to see the ceremony being discussed on the basis of what he considers an incorrect factual premise.
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INSIDE IIT DELHI’S 57TH CONVOCATION
IIT Delhi held its 57th Convocation on August 8, with more than 3,000 students and 587 PhD scholars present. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the graduating students and urged them to remain curious, question accepted ideas and have the courage to find solutions.
The Prime Minister’s address focused overwhelmingly on education, research, technology, innovation and the role of young graduates in India’s future. He spoke about the importance of continued learning, research opportunities, India’s semiconductor ambitions and the contribution of young people to the country’s development.
It was against this backdrop of an academic convocation that Mohamed raised her objection.
THE SAMAVARTANA CONNECTION
The recitation also has a historical connection with the Samavartana ceremony, which in ancient India marked the completion of a student’s education and transition to social responsibility. The Shikshavalli of the Taittiriya Upanishad emphasises truth, duty, discipline, respect for teachers and ethical living.
Supporters see the inclusion of such verses at an IIT convocation as a way of reconnecting modern education with India’s intellectual heritage.
Critics, however, question whether such religiously rooted recitations belong in public educational institutions. This leaves two questions at the heart of the debate: what was recited, and was it appropriate for the ceremony?
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THE FACTUAL QUESTION BEHIND THE LARGER DEBATE
There is a wider debate over whether religious or traditional invocations should be part of ceremonies at public educational institutions. Mohamed argues that academic spaces should remain free from religious chants.
But before that debate, the basic facts need to be clear. If the recitation was not the Gayatri Mantra, identifying it as such changes the basis of the controversy. The question, therefore, remains simple: was the recitation correctly identified?
WHY THE DISTINCTION MATTERS
Public debates over religion and secularism can quickly become charged, making factual accuracy especially important. In the IIT Delhi controversy, the key question is simple: was the recitation actually the Gayatri Mantra?
Shama Mohamed says it was and questioned its presence at an academic event. IIT Kanpur alumnus Gyan C Mehta disputes that, saying the basic premise is factually incorrect.
The broader debate over religion in educational spaces may continue, but it must begin with one basic question: what was actually being recited?
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