Kerala University research scholar lodges police complaint alleging caste-based discrimination by HoD

Vipin Vijayan, a probe student astatine the University of Kerala who has been astatine the centre of a contention surrounding his PhD degree, has lodged a ailment with the Thiruvananthapuram City Police alleging caste-based favoritism by the Head of the Department (HoD) of Sanskrit, C.N. Vijayakumari.

In his ailment submitted to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kazhakuttam, Mr. Vijayan has sought steps to registry a lawsuit nether the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

According to the complaint, Prof. Vijayakumari, who besides serves arsenic the Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, allegedly made casteist remarks and obstructed the scholar’s probe progress. He alleged that the prof had told him that radical from backward castes should not survey Sanskrit and that the “sanctity of the section was lost” due to the fact that students from “lower castes” were being admitted.

Mr. Vijayan besides claimed that contempt supervising his MPhil dissertation and certifying his proficiency successful Sanskrit, during his PhD unfastened defence Prof. Vijayakumari declared him unqualified to prosecute a PhD. He alleged that this amounted to an effort to sabotage his world vocation owed to idiosyncratic bias.

Complaint to V-C

The student has besides submitted a written ailment to the Vice-Chancellor (V-C), urging strict enactment against the professor.

Bindu promises probe

Higher Education Minister R. Bindu condemned the incidental and promised that a broad enquiry would beryllium instituted into the issue. She asserted that nary student, particularly those coming from socially oregon economically disadvantaged backgrounds, should look immoderate barriers successful their pursuit of knowledge. “It is highly unfortunate and contradictory that the aforesaid teacher who certified the student’s MPhil dissertation is present claiming that the pupil does not cognize the language. Completing a PhD dissertation and successfully defending it earlier experts necessitate immense effort and intelligence commitment. Such remarks are profoundly regrettable,” she said.

Dr. Bindu added that the comments made by the module subordinate could beryllium seen arsenic a manifestation of idiosyncratic prejudice and discrimination, which should ne'er hap connected assemblage campuses.