A parliamentary panel chairperson has urged the Union education ministry to halt eviction notices issued to residents of Annapurna Farms in Auroville, warning that the action conflicts with recommendations made by the committee on the proposed IIT Madras sustainability campus.
Mukul Wasnik, chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, wrote to higher education secretary Deepti Gaur Mukerjee seeking intervention over notices issued by the Auroville Foundation. The notices directed residents of Annapurna Farms to vacate the premises within 10 days.
Wasnik asked the ministry to direct the Auroville Foundation to withdraw the notices or keep them in abeyance. He also urged the ministry to prevent any irreversible action, including land transfers, demolitions or evictions, until the matter is formally reviewed.
The intervention refers to the committee’s 371st report, which was presented to Parliament in December 2025. The report examined the proposed collaboration between the Auroville Foundation and IIT Madras to establish a sustainability campus in Auroville.
According to the report’s recommendation cited in the letter, the committee supported the proposed sustainability initiative but cautioned that it should not be implemented at the expense of Annapurna Farms. It stated that “Annapurna Farms should not be disturbed and that alternative sites nearby should be found to situate the sustainability campus”.
The committee’s position was linked to Auroville’s founding emphasis on food self-reliance and the agricultural practices followed at Annapurna Farms. Wasnik said the farm’s ongoing organic agricultural work was aligned with the core vision associated with The Mother, one of the central figures in Auroville’s founding history.
Wasnik also asked the higher education secretary to obtain a detailed report from the Auroville Foundation explaining the legal authority and background under which the eviction notices were issued. The request places the foundation’s land and administrative decisions under scrutiny while the proposed campus remains under consideration.
The dispute highlights the institutional overlap involved in land decisions within Auroville. The Auroville Foundation is responsible for administering the township, while the proposed sustainability campus involves collaboration with IIT Madras and oversight linked to the Union education ministry. The parliamentary panel has called for these decisions to follow its recommendation on protecting Annapurna Farms.
Wasnik further appealed to the ministry to identify an alternative nearby site for the IIT Madras campus. He also called for transparency and consultation with community stakeholders before any future land decisions are taken in Auroville.
The letter seeks ministry intervention and a review of the eviction notices. The next step requested by the parliamentary panel is a detailed explanation from the Auroville Foundation and the identification of an alternative site for the proposed sustainability campus.
