IIT Madras campus school faces the heat for unauthorised physical test on students

A preliminary study by the IIT-Madras researchers on the students of a school, located within the premium institute’s campus in Chennai, has stoked a controversy.

However, the authorities said on Thursday that action has been taken. The principal of the school has been replaced and the faculty of IIT-M was “warned, and administrative action was taken,” an official IIT-M release said.

The incident that took place in August came to light following a complaint by a parent to the State Human Rights Commission alleging a section of students had to undergo ‘clinical trials’ in violation of relevant rules. Also, it was alleged that prior permission from parents was not obtained.

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Fact-finding panel

Established in 1963, Vana Vani Matriculation Higher Secondary School (VVMHSC) on the sprawling IIT-M campus, is run by a not-for profit trust, in which Director-IIT-M is the managing trustee, according to the VVMHSC website.

Responding, the IIT-Madras said in a statement that a fact-finding committee was constituted to ascertain the facts. The initial preliminary study was conducted on August 19, 2024 at Vana Vani School to understand the feasibility of a cost-effective smart insole assembled using commercially available items.

“Neither clinical trials nor any medical-related device trials were conducted. Neither medicine nor stimulants were given,” the institute said. Furthermore, it said that the assembled smart insole was placed “inside the insole of students’ shoes to study the ease of walking (the study lasted for less than 10 minutes for each student), which had no contact with the human body.”

‘Not a clinical trial’

Along with the assembled insole, a commercially assembled smartwatch was used to collect the data separately. According to the faculty, this was just a feasibility test and not a clinical trial, and hence, it may not require permission from the parents.

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It was found that no invasive procedures were performed, and no liquid or solids were administered to any of the students before or during the study.

“However, this has been viewed seriously by the school management, and the principal of the school has been replaced.”

“The faculty of IIT-M was also warned, and administrative action was taken for not ascertaining that permission from parents was to be obtained before performing the feasibility study. The feasibility study was immediately stopped on the same day on August 19, 2024,” the statement added.

(With agency inputs)