New IISc. logo draws ire of students and faculty

Many students and faculty members felt that the legacy of the institute was being replaced

Students and faculty members at the launch of new logo of the Indian Institute of Science on Tuesday.

The Indian Institute of Science on Tuesday unveiled its new logo as part of a branding exercise, with the tagline: ‘Discover and Innovate, Transform and Transcend, Serve and Lead’.

But not everyone was cheering. Several students and faculty members expressed unhappiness with the move.

The earlier logo was a hand-drawn design of the crest of the institute that had been approved at the council meeting held in October 1952. The management decided to replace it as they had seen different logos being used by various departments.

Many students and faculty members felt that the legacy of the institute was being replaced. As a mark of protest, they did not participate in the human chain formation for the launch of the logo.

“We feel that the institute is erasing its own history by coming up with a new logo,” said one student.

A committee headed by Kaushal Verma, who is a mathematics professor and head of the office of the communications team, was formed two years ago for the project. The institute approached different agencies across the country before choosing a Mumbai-based firm.

Kavitha Harish, who works in the office of communications, said that the agency had conducted a survey among various stakeholders, including students, staff, faculty members as well as alumni, before taking this decision. The new logo will make an appearance in ceremonial places such as the main gate, degree certificates, legal papers and MoUs.