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| Representational image of a rice field |
In an order dated 27th February 2026, the Madras High Court prohibited IIT Madras from interfering in Annapurna Farm of Auroville. The order issued by Justice P.T. Asha posting the case for the next hearing on 30th March 2026 stated that "There shall be an order of interim injunction prohibiting the 2nd and 3rd respondents, their agents, servants, or any persons claiming under them from any manner interfering with the peaceful possession of schedule property and restraining them from taking coercive steps in pursuance of the impugned lease deed, with respect to the schedule property, till then".
'IIT Madras' is the 2nd respondent, and 'IIT Madras Incubation Cell' is the 3rd respondent in the petition filed by Indian Auroville resident Madhuri Tirutharam Kadam from Annapurna Farm. Auroville Foundation, represented by its Secretary is the first respondent in the petition.
The Secretary, Auroville Foundation had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IIT Madras in July of 2025 to establish a "sustainability campus" in Annapurna Farm. A media release by Auroville Media Liaison (under the Residents' Assembly), dated 15th August, called it an "unsustainable sustainability" and stated the land was purchased during The Mother's (the founder of Auroville) lifetime, in 1965, "with the intention that these lands would be used to produce food for Auroville". Under the subheading "Food security", it said, "Annapurna produces 30% of the food supplies from Auroville's farms, which includes high quality organic grains and functions as the community's central granary and processing over 90% of grains from a number of Auroville farms".
A Parliamentary Committee review of Auroville Foundation tabled on 8th December 2025 recommended that "Annapurna farms should not be disturbed and that alternative sites nearby should be found to situate the sustainability campus”. The Parliamentary Committee was of the view that "all land transfers in service of the Master Plan should be implemented in full transparency and consultation with all stakeholders, including the Resident’s Assembly and the International Advisory Council”. Apparently rejecting the recommendation of the committee that was headed by Shri Digvijaya Singh, and consisting of 31 members from the Lok Sabha and 9 members from the Rajya Sabha drawn from ruling and opposition parties, a lease deed was signed between Auroville Foundation and IIT Madras on 23rd December and registered at the Taluk registration office of the state govt.
A Facebook page named "Auroville Fact Check", which "is with Auroville Media Interface and Auroville Foundation at Auroville: The Future of World in India", said the following, among other statements, on 28th December 2025:
"An official report has been issued to clarify facts around the proposed land use decision at Annapurna Farm. Here is what the document explains:
"All Auroville farms together currently meet less than 12% of the community’s food needs," and "Over 88% of food is sourced from outside".
The post stated under a subheading "Proposed Strategy": "Consolidate agriculture within the Greenbelt to improve efficiency, resilience, and food security" and "Use land outside the Greenbelt for an IIT collaboration aimed at education, research, and wider regional benefit".
The question that might arise in the mind of any observer of goodwill is, "If Auroville farms are meeting less than 12% of the food requirement, shouldn't all the existing farms be strengthened rather than disturb or weaken the sector by handing over a prominent farm functioning over four decades to a new vehicle manufacturing business, sustainable or not?
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