New York: An Indian-origin student pursuing a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US has been suspended from the university until January 2026 for his pro-Palestinian activism. The Indian-origin student appealed the school’s decision. The suspended student’s name is Prahlad Iyengar. In an article published in a university magazine, Iyengar expressed his views in the Palestinian context while criticizing pacifist strategies.
Not allowed on campus
Iyengar’s article is titled “On Pacifism.” The article also included the logo of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. MIT banned Iyengar from campus because the article promoted violence. The university believed the language used in the article and the presence of the logo incited violence.
The student was also previously suspended from school
However, Prahlad Iyengar denied the accusations and said his purpose was only to express his views and did not support violence. However, this is not the first time Iyengar has been suspended. He was also suspended last year over pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Academic careers will be affected
Meanwhile, a group called the MIT Anti-Apartheid Coalition shared a post on Twitter saying that National Science Foundation researcher Prahlad Iyengar had been “suspended. to January 2026”. The organization said the suspension would terminate Iyengar’s five-year NSF fellowship and affect his academic career. (language)
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