Kolkata, Jun 14 (IANS): The Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur, one of the country's premier educational establishments, asked all its faculty members not to participate in radio broadcasts or write anything on subjects critical of the state and central governments.

The circular, signed by institute registrar B N Singh, was issued on June 6 to all the faculty members and it said that the staff of IIT-Kharagpur is governed by conduct rules as laid down in the acts and statutes of the institute.

"It is not a new circular. It was passed in both the houses of Parliament in 1961. It is also therein the IIT rule book. But people don't read that these days and that is why we have to issue the circular from time to time to our faculty members for their knowledge," IIT-Kharagpur registrar Singh told IANS on Sunday over the phone.

Singh said that the directive is applicable to all IIT employees. It is an internal circular reminding about the conduct rules for all the staff of IITs.

"You have to understand one thing first that it is not a gag order at all. It is an internal practice of basic code of conduct," the registrar said.

According to the recently-issued circular, no employee of IIT-KGP shall, except with the previous sanction of the competent authority or any other authority empowered by it on this behalf, or in the bonafide discharge of his duties, participate in a radio broadcast or contribute any article or write any letter, in his own name or anonymously, to any newspaper or periodical.

The notification circular also said that no such sanction shall be required if such broadcast or contribution is "of a purely literary, artistic or of scientific character".