Srinagar: A storm has erupted around the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu after students were reportedly told they could be fined Rs 500 if they did not take part in a Deep Prakashan (earthen-lamp) ceremony organised on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.
As per a widely shared message said to have come from the IIM Student Council, those who did not show up for the Deepak Prakashan function on September 17 were marked absent, even though participation was described as compulsory.
The event, held inside the IIM Jammu campus, was meant to commemorate Modi’s birthday.
The circular reportedly instructed missing students to file a written justification for their absence and made it clear that relief would be granted only on medical grounds, as reported by The New Indian Express.
“Please note that an exemption from the absence will be considered only on medical grounds, and the same must be supported by an official written note from Sanjeevni specifically recommending bed rest for the concerned period. Medical reasons without the required documentation from Sanjeevni will not be considered for exemption,” the purported communique warned.
Those who did not send in their replies were allegedly told they would be slapped with a fine of Rs 500.
In a post on X, IIM Jammu said it had held a lamp-lighting function at the main reception of the academic block on September 17, 2026, to mark the Prime Minister’s birthday and to reflect on India’s transformative growth journey towards ViksitBharat2047.
The programme was attended by BJP MLA Yudhvir Sethi and presided over IIM Jammu Director Prof B.S. Sahay.
Congress Hits Out
Senior Congress leader and the party’s J&K in-charge Syed Nasir Hussain slammed the institute, asking, “Why should attendance at PM Modi’s birthday celebration be mandatory for students? Is this an academic responsibility at an IIM, or has PM Modi’s publicity been brought into the campus as a compulsory exercise?”
He said educational institutions should nurture independent minds, not force students to attend political leaders‘ celebrations or threaten them with penalties.
“BJP’s publicity stunts should be kept out of our premier educational institutions,” he added.
Bihar MP Suhakar Singh, in a post on X, said IIM Jammu students had been issued notices warning of a Rs 500 fine for not lighting diyas on “Sahib”’s birthday. “The program has been described as mandatory, and written explanations have been demanded from absent students.”
“We’re saying it straight — why a Rs 500 fine? Why not just issue a direct order from the PMO that anyone who doesn’t chant “Modi-Modi” won’t even get admission, whether it’s IIT or IIM. If that’s not enough, then this glorification of students in educational institutions should also be included (sic),” he said.
