Tue Sep 09 20:15:27 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a news article based on it.

**Summary:**

Two Indian academics, Suvrat Raju and Alok Laddha, detail their involvement in a petition signed by 500 scientists and academics urging the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), held in Mumbai, to suspend Israel’s participation as a national team due to its actions in Gaza. The IOAA board approved the proposal, but the Israeli embassy reacted strongly. Simultaneously, 300 Indian academics requested the Indian Prime Minister’s Office to take action against the petition’s signatories, accusing them of undermining India’s aspirations to become a “Vishwaguru.” The authors defend their actions, citing the devastating consequences of Israel’s actions in Gaza, including a high civilian death toll and the destruction of infrastructure. They condemn what they see as a disregard for Palestinian rights and call for academics to pressure Israel to change its policies. They also express concern over the responses from some Indian colleagues and on social media, which they view as a threat to communal harmony and academic freedom within India.
**News Article:**

**The Hindu: Gaza Conflict Sparks Controversy at Science Olympiad, Divides Indian Academics**

**Mumbai, September 10, 2025:** A petition to suspend Israel from the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), held in Mumbai in August, has ignited a fierce debate within the Indian academic community. The petition, signed by 500 scientists and academics, including Indian nationals, called for Israel to participate only as individuals, without national representation, in protest of its actions in Gaza.

The IOAA board ultimately approved the proposal, prompting outrage from the Israeli embassy. Consul General Kobbi Shoshani ridiculed the decision.

Adding fuel to the fire, 300 Indian academics, including prominent figures from IITs and universities, have petitioned the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to take action against seven signatories of the original petition, accusing them of derailing India’s efforts to become a “Vishwaguru,” or world leader.

The controversy underscores deep divisions within India regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Authors of the original petition, Suvrat Raju and Alok Laddha, two theoretical physicists, argue that the petition was a moral imperative given the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They cite reports indicating that over 63,000 Palestinians have been killed since 2023, with a significant majority being civilians, according to leaked data. Raju and Laddha emphasize the destruction of schools, hospitals, and the UN’s declaration of famine as evidence of Israel’s devastating impact.

“It makes no sense to pretend that science and cultural events can go on as usual, in the face of the historic crimes unfolding in Gaza,” they wrote.

The pair criticized those within the Indian academic community who disregard or defend Israel’s actions, also expressing concern over the negative sentiments toward Palestinians they’ve seen on Indian social media. They see the debate over the petition as part of a broader struggle for communal harmony and academic freedom within India.

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