The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Patna has found itself at the centre of a heated public and academic debate following the circulation of excerpts from a research paper authored by Dr Priyanka Tripathi, Associate Professor of English at IIT Patna. The paper, titled “(En)Queering Prakriti: Decolonial Ecofeminism and Lesbian Subjectivity in Out! Stories from the New Queer India,” was co-written with Chhandita Das and published in the international journal Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics.
The controversy erupted after many on social media alleged that the paper distorted core Hindu philosophical concepts, particularly Prakriti and Shakti, in order to advance a contemporary queer ecofeminist framework.
One of the most debated portions of the paper reads: “Since ages, Prakriti has been believed in Hindu mythology to be closely associated with femininity in India, and the present article will elaborate on how it energises lesbian experiences as an alternative source of Shakti (i.e., power) beyond the heteronormative Prakriti and Purusha (literal meaning man) dualism.”
The authors further argued: “Shakti in the decolonial context of queer eco-feminism can not only offer resistance to fixed heterosexual categories, but also can shape potential pathways of queer subjectivity and sustainability.”
Distortion of Hindu Scriptures by IIT Patna’s Humanities Department
👉 lesbian experiences as an alternative source of Shakti
👉the lap of Prakriti marks the heightened Shakti of lesbianism…
Why this is happening on tax money, @dpradhanbjp⁉️ pic.twitter.com/lowX1VKpQx
— Gems of Indian Academia (@GemsofAcademia) February 11, 2026
The repeated invocation of sacred Hindu terms within a contemporary gender and sexuality framework has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters, who contend that such interpretations amount to ideological repurposing of religious concepts.
Reframing Prakriti and Shakti
In the paper, the authors attempt to create a conceptual bridge between traditional Indian philosophical ideas and modern queer theory. They noted that: “It is primarily the shared emphasis on fluidity and interconnectivity among species beyond any binary mechanism, that the decolonial Indian concept Prakriti and queer ecofeminism are deeply related.”
The authors also argue that reconstructing lesbian ecofeminism through the decolonial lens of Prakriti and its associated spiritual belief of Shakti could offer possibilities that go “beyond the traditional method of othering.”
Another controversial passage states: “The provocation of these identifications of lesbians in or as Prakriti, in turn, empowers them with Shakti.”
Perhaps the most debated line in the paper reads: “Their unification, though in death, in the lap of Prakriti, marks the heightened Shakti of lesbianism to reject every compulsory pressure to conform, so that even death is preferable to convention.”
While many describe the paper as an example of interdisciplinary scholarship blending postcolonial thought and gender studies, others on social media argue that invoking sacred spiritual concepts to frame sexual politics crosses a sensitive line in a country where such ideas are deeply revered.
Who is Dr Priyanka Tripathi?
Dr Priyanka Tripathi is currently an Associate Professor of English at IIT Patna and previously served as the Head of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the institution. She completed her PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.
Leftists IIT Professor Priyanka Tripathi writes a book on Mann ki Baat. @nbt_india of GoI publishes it.
In research papers, then she propagates Lesbianism and Shakti nonsense.
This is their modus operandi. Praise Modi, but attack Hindutva to escape scrutiny and consequences. https://t.co/Zd3L8oNpag pic.twitter.com/qeouKna0E9
— Gems of Indian Academia (@GemsofAcademia) February 12, 2026
According to the official profile available on the institute’s website, she also serves as the Fellowship Coordinator for the Journal of International Women’s Studies, published by Bridgewater State University in the United States. Additionally, she holds editorial roles with Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics and Global South Literary Studies, both published by Taylor & Francis.
Her academic distinctions include:
1. Charles Wallace India Trust Visiting Fellowship (2024-25) at the School of History, University of Leeds
2. IPD Visiting Research Fellowship (2022-23) at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH), University of Edinburgh
3. Her monograph titled The Gendered War: Evaluating Feminist Ethnographic Narratives of the 1971 War of Bangladesh was published by Bloomsbury in 2022. A forthcoming monograph with the National Book Trust of India is reportedly titled Mann Ki Baat & Bharatiya Art, Culture and Heritage.
Her areas of research include Medical Humanities, Gender Studies, South Asian Fiction, and Graphic Novels.
Earlier Writings and Criticism of Hindu Social Structures
The current controversy has also led to renewed scrutiny of Dr Tripathi’s earlier academic writings.
In her work titled “Women and Wounded Self: Exploring Indian Women’s Short Fiction in English,” she examined themes of patriarchy and domestic violence. In that context, she referenced Hindu mythology and scriptural traditions to argue that women have historically been positioned in subordinate roles within certain social frameworks.
Another co-authored paper, “Exploring the Margins of Kotha Culture: Reconstructing a Courtesan’s Life in Neelum Saran Gour’s Requiem in Raga Janki,” discussed the cultural positioning of courtesans. In it, the authors wrote:
“Such othering of women is also an innate part of Hindu patriarchal societies which believe that women are unable to address their own issues of which Manusmriti, ancient text completely boasts off stating that a woman belongs to her father in childhood, to her husband in youth and in her old age she belongs to her son only.”
The paper further stated, “Unlike Indian households where lessons of adjustment are tutored to girls, in kotha women are more familiar with taking their own decisions.”
Many argue that these writings portray Hindu social traditions in a uniformly negative light, while supporters contend that they represent legitimate feminist scholarship interrogating historical structures.
Association with Taylor & Francis
Attention has also turned to Dr Tripathi’s editorial association with Taylor & Francis, a UK-based academic publisher. Taylor & Francis has, in the past, published works that critique Indian politics, Hindutva ideology, and policy decisions such as the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Some commentators have described the publisher’s catalogue as reflective of strong critical positions on Indian democracy and governance. However, it is important to note that Taylor & Francis publishes a wide range of scholarly material across disciplines and political perspectives.
Dr Tripathi’s roles as Associate Editor with journals under the Taylor & Francis umbrella have therefore become part of the broader discourse surrounding the controversy.
Academic Freedom vs Religious Sensitivity
At the heart of the debate lies a larger question: Where does academic freedom intersect with religious sensitivity?
India’s higher education institutions have increasingly become arenas of ideological contestation. Supporters of Dr Tripathi argue that academic research must be allowed to reinterpret philosophical traditions within contemporary theoretical frameworks. They contend that scholarship often involves re-reading classical texts and ideas through modern lenses.
Others, however, argue that deeply revered spiritual concepts such as Shakti and Prakriti should not be reframed in ways that many believers perceive as irreverent or politically motivated.
The controversy has also reignited discussions about whether similar reinterpretations of theological ideas from other religions would receive comparable institutional protection or would provoke more immediate backlash.
Growing Demands for Clarification
As the debate intensifies, people are awaiting an official statement from IIT Patna clarifying its position. So far, the institute has not publicly commented in detail on the issue.
Several voices within academic and public spheres have called for clearer guidelines regarding the use of religious and civilisational concepts in scholarly work, particularly when such work is publicly funded and associated with premier institutions.
The debate surrounding Dr Priyanka Tripathi’s research is not merely about one paper or one professor. It reflects broader tensions in contemporary India, between tradition and reinterpretation, between faith and academic critique, and between identity politics and cultural continuity.
Whether this episode results in institutional action or remains part of a larger ideological discussion, it has undeniably placed IIT Patna at the centre of a national conversation about scholarship, responsibility, and the limits of reinterpretation.
