Prof. Rajeev Kumar

For other people with same name, see Rajeev Kumar (disambiguation).

Rajeev Kumar (born 12 March 1959 ^[1] ) is an Indian computer scientist, activist and former professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is known for his activism and his legal fight against IITs where he advocated for reforms and transparency in the admission process of IITs. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Rajeev Kumar
Born	(1959-03-12) 12 March 1959 (age 66) India
Citizenship	Indian
Alma mater	(Bsc) Rohilkhand University (MSc) University of Allahabad (M.Tech) IIT Roorkee (PhD) University of Sheffield
Scientific career
Fields	Computer Science
Institutions	IIT Kharagpur BITS Pilani Jawaharlal Nehru University IIT Kanpur

Education

Rajeev Kumar was born on 12 March 1959 in India he completed his Bsc degree in physics, maths and chemistry from Rohilkhand University and his MSc in Physics from University of Allahabad where he secured third rank in the university. He then went on to complete his M.Tech in computer science from IIT Roorkee and ranked first in the institute. After which he completed his PhD in computer engineering from University of Sheffield in UK. ^{[7] [8]}

Highlighting irregularities in IITs admission process

He is known for his fight against IITs to amend the eligibility criteria of admission through the JEE exams. In 2010, after a "protracted legal struggle" ^[9] over the years with several tiers of the IIT administration, the Delhi High Court ordered the IITs to reveal such information. ^{[10] [11]} Since 2012, every candidate gets a carbon copy of their paper, and the various cutoffs are announced. ^[12] Due to his activism he was suspended and forcefully retired by IIT Kharagpur in 2014 until he was reinstated in 2017 by former President Pranab Mukherjee. ^[13]

Suspension for whistleblowing

In 2011, Kumar was suspended for damaging the reputation of IIT Kharagpur by reporting the extensive cheating going on in the institute and for exposing a scam in the purchase of laptops. ^[14] The institute had also illegally accessed Kumar's phone records. ^[15] This led to Supreme Court lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan requesting the MHRD Minister Kapil Sibal to ensure that whistleblowers like Rajeev are not harassed. ^[16] Despite letters from the MHRD and the Central Vigilance Commission in 2013, IIT Kharagpur did not revoke his suspension. ^{[9] [17] [18] [19]} In July 2012, the registrar of IIT wrote to the ministry "saying the withdrawal of suspension of Prof. Kumar and resumption of duties would adversely affect the academic atmosphere of the institute." ^[20]

Finally, the suspension was lifted in May 2013, ^[21]

References

1. "Prof Rajeev Kumar cv" (PDF). JNU . Retrieved 15 January 2026.
2. "Denial of PhD to whistleblower professor's student: Put issue before BoG, HRD ministry asks IIT Kharagpur". The New Indian Express. 15 February 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
3. Chowdhury, Shreya Roy. "This professor's campaign reformed the opaque IIT admission system. So why was he suspended?". Scroll.in. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
4. Charu Sudan Kasturi (30 April 2013). "For "unsung hero" behind IIT JEE transparency, some reprieve after years of torment". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013.quote: Kumar, dubbed by the Supreme Court of India as an “unsung hero” responsible for much of the transparency introduced in the IIT entrance examination in recent years
5. "National RTI Awards | Welcome". www.rtiawards.org. Archived from the original on 19 November 2009.
6. Justices R.V. Raveendran, A.K. Patnaik (11 October 2011). "Sanchit Bansal & Anr vs Joint Admission Board & Ors". Supreme Court of India.
7. "Prof Rajeev Kumar cv" (PDF). JNU . Retrieved 15 January 2026.
8. "People were afraid to be seen with said professor whose campaign reformed IITs admission system". Scroll . 18 October 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
9. PNS (19 April 2013). "IIT-Kgp top rung in soup again". The Pioneer. Records obtained by Rajeev Kumar, with whom the institute is in protracted legal tussle, through RTI showed that (registrar IIT) wrote to BSNL on 10 January 2011 seeking details of calls, made and received from Kumar's personal mobile, for six months.
10. IANS (8 April 2010). "Court notice to IITs on JEE". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. The Delhi High Court has sent notices to 15 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the ministry of human resource development to clarify their process of selection in the JEE.
11. Shailesh Gandhi, Information Commissioner (6 November 2009). "Rajeev Kumar vs Indian Institute of Technology". Central Information Commission.
12. Vinita Deshmukh (1 November 2012). "Irregularities in IIT JEE: Will the new HRD minister offer justice to this tenacious whistleblower?".
13. Chandrani Banerjee (15 August 2011). "Without Armour". Outlook India.
14. "IIT Kharagpur suspends whistleblower professor". Times of India. 14 May 2011.
15. Charu Sudan Kasturi (30 May 2011). "IIT Kharagpur violates privacy law, snoops on prof's phone chat". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 2 December 2011.
16. Akshaya Mukul,TNN (10 March 2011). "Lawyer asks Sibal to ensure IIT prof is not 'harassed'". Times of India.
17. Singh, Shiv Sahay (16 December 2012). "Review suspension of whistleblower, Centre tells IIT Kharagpur". The Hindu.
18. Anubhuti Vishnoi (6 April 2013). "IIT Kharagpur defies CVC, faces heat". Indian Express. The HRD ministry recently directed the IIT to revoke the suspension of Prof Rajeev Kumar, as advised by the CVC, but it is yet to do so.
19. "IIT-K told to reinstate professor". www.telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2013.
20. Shiv Sahay Singh (16 December 2012). "Review suspension of whistleblower, Centre tells IIT Kharagpur". The Hindu .
21. "Whistleblower professor resumes work at IIT-KGP". The Hindu . 3 May 2013.