IIT Kanpur exam question on Kejriwal's election loss and 'Mann Ki Baat' goes viral

An exam question at IIT Kanpur has stirred controversy after referencing institute alumnus and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s electoral defeat while framing a technical problem. The question, part of the Electrical Engineering (ESC201) quiz held on February 11, went viral after surfacing on social media.

The problem asked students to design a radio filter to help "Kejriwal" tune into PM Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat on Vividh Bharti FM while rejecting adjacent frequencies. It humorously noted that Kejriwal, having spent heavily on his election campaign, could only afford a 50-ohm resistor, a variable inductor, and a variable capacitor. Students were required to determine the quality factor and component values for the filter.

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Mixed reaction on the viral question

X user Ravi Handa shared a photo of the question paper, captioning it, "IIT Kanpur Prof is trolling Arvind Kejriwal via an exam paper." The viral question received mixed reactions. Some social media users found it amusing, while others criticized it as politically charged. The incident has reignited debates on the role of humor and political references in academia. Here are some reactions:

One user wrote sarcastically if 'this is India is going to become Vishwaguru, Vikasit Bharat, blah blah.'

Many X users found the idea of using the references amusing. One wrote that it's a 'fantastic example of contextualising a theoretical question in a real-life scenario to make it more relatable.'

IIT Kanpur clarification

Following online backlash, IIT Kanpur clarified that the faculty member often incorporates references to well-known figures, both real and fictional, to make questions more engaging. "Past references have included characters like Tony Stark. The intent is purely academic, with no political implications," the institute stated.