After 'cow in classroom' video goes viral, IIT-Bombay sets up committee to look into 'man-animal conflict' on campus

Mumbai: A video showing a cow entering a classroom, purportedly at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, went viral on social media on Monday, prompting officials of the top educational institute to set up a committee to look into the ‘man-animal’ conflict on the campus. The video showed the bovine walking across a class room as bemused students looked on. [caption id=“attachment_4942051” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of the IIT-Bombay campus. PTI[/caption] “The director has constituted a committee to look into the ‘human versus animal’ conflict issue on campus,” an IIT spokesperson said. “The committee members have been discussing the matter. They will consult the BMC, NGOs and animal experts before taking any steps,” the spokesperson added. IIT staff and security personnel are on alert and doing their best, the IIT staffer said, adding the institute will take the best possible measures to mitigate any conflict. However, he refused to confirm that the video was from the IIT Bombay campus. “Can’t authenticate if the viral video is from IIT campus,” the spokesperson said. Stray cattle remain a nuisance at the institute. On 11 July, a student from Kerala, interning at the institute, had to be hospitalised with injuries to the abdomen after a pair of bulls attacked him outside a hostel. Asked how many bulls were there on the campus, the spokesperson said, “We cannot count as they don’t stay at one place. They are free animals and roam around the Powai lake area.”