(Photo: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s 136th birth anniversary celebration)

New Delhi: IIT Delhi celebrated the 136th birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar with “Jai Bhim Saptaha 2026," held from April 10 to 16, 2026, transforming the campus into a vibrant space of dialogue, creativity, and critical engagement around themes of equity, dignity, and social inclusion.

A defining feature of this year’s celebrations was the Jai Bhim Saptaha Film Festival (April 10–12), which positioned cinema as a powerful medium for engaging with questions of social justice.

Jai Bhim Saptaha commenced with a blood donation camp in collaboration with Blood Connect and NSS, drawing enthusiastic participation from over 200 donors. A book exhibition and visit at the Institute’s Central Library engaged over 300 school children, introducing them to Ambedkar’s life and ideas.

(Photo: Prof. Arvind Nema, DDO, IIT Delhi, interacting with school children visiting an exhibition on Dr. Ambedkar organised by the Central Library)

Film Festival: Cinema as Social Inclusion

The Film Festival opened with an inauguration ceremony chaired by Prof. Arvind Nema (Deputy Director, IIT Delhi) with Prof. Harish Wankhede (JNU) as curator and guest of honor. An accompanying exhibition on Dalit-Bahujan-Adivasi cinema set the tone for the festival. Screenings included Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (Dir. Jabbar Patel) and The Great Debaters (Dir. Denzel Washington), documentaries “Ambedkar: Then & Now” (Dir. Jyoti Nisha)’ and “What is My Caste?” (Dir. Neha Thombre) among the various other films, drawing connections across global struggles for dignity and justice.

The film festival deepened its engagement through a roundtable on “Dr. Ambedkar’s Vision for Cinema and Society," and a special lecture on “Cinema, Technology, and Market”, bringing together Mr Girish Wankhede (Movie Trade Analyst), Prof. Dickens Leonard (IIT Delhi), Prof. Amit Thorat (JNU), Prof. Ravikant (CSDS), Prof Amitabha Bagchi (IIT Delhi), Prof Charu Monga (IIT Delhi), and filmmakers Jyoti Nisha and Neha Thombre. The discussion and screenings foregrounded cinema as a site of pedagogy, social commentary, and collective joy.

Workshops, Art, and Community Engagement

On April 12, a vibrant drawing competition for the IIT Delhi community was organized by the SC/ST Employee Welfare Association, fostering creative engagement across age groups. On April 13, participants attended a workshop on the English language by Prof. Dickens Leonard (IIT Delhi), followed by a confidence-building workshop by Dr. Rakshi Rath (Krea University)—both addressing issues of voice, expression, and self-confidence in academic spaces.

On April 14, IIT Delhi community members participated in a visit to Sansad Bhawan, marking Ambedkar Jayanti in a larger national context. April 15 featured a Caste Sensitization Workshop held at the Central Library by the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies (IIDS), encouraging exploration of ways to build social harmony and well-being.

Ambedkar Memorial Lecture

Chief guest Disha Wadekar, legal scholar and independent advocate at the Supreme Court of India, delivered a lecture on “Constitutional Morality as a Transformative Ideal: Dr. Ambedkar’s Vision," highlighting how we must take recourse to education and morality to move beyond formal words to make sense of the spirit of the constitution that is left unsaid and reminded the audience of Dr. Ambedkar’s vision of how constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment but requires cultivation and nurturance.

In his presidential remarks, reflecting on the weeklong immersive activities conducted as part of the commemoration of Dr. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi, said, “We at IIT Delhi believe that academic institutions must show the direction so that we become a torchbearer of what society should become… In this endeavor, Dr. Ambedkar’s ideas and vision continue to guide us."

A Living, Inclusive Space

The Saptaha culminated on April 16 with a series of major activities such as the “Print Your Preamble” screen-printing activity with 250 copies being self-printed, personal reflections on the “Ambedkar-in-a-Word” wall, a vibrant book fair showcasing books on Dr. Ambedkar, the exhibition on Madhubani Art by Malvika Raj, and the Santhali Tribal Cultural Exhibition and dignity march. The Jai Bhim Saptah 2026 embodied IIT Delhi’s commitment to diversity and social inclusion.

Prof. Yashpal Jogdand (Faculty Advisor, Initiative for Caste Equity) highlighted the need for dialogic and thoughtful engagement with Dr. Ambedkar’s ideas and vision for individual growth and social wellbeing. Prof. Manojkumar Ramteke (Chairperson, SC/ST Cell) appreciated the heartwarming participation of the campus community in the activities. 

(Photo: Chief Guest Disha Wadekar and Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi, visited book fair and exhibition)

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