In response to a complaint by a PhD research student from the Dalit community of NIT Tiruchy (NIT-T) made to the National Commission for Scheduled Caste (NCSC) saying she faced discrimination, NCSC has asked for a response from NIT-T on the inquiry and action taken via a letter on Tuesday.

R Deepha, a Civil Engineering PhD research student, wrote to NCSC Vice Chairman L Murugan stating she faced caste discrimination and had been asked to quit her research because of it. She said the faculty failed her despite her reasonably good performance in comprehensive examinations. NIT-T Director Mini Shaji Thomas said, “The student showed little progress in her research and failed twice.

She wrote asking for reconsideration, but this cannot be decided individually and has to be taken to the senate. We were ready to take her request for reconsideration to the senate, but before we could act on her request, she  had written to the NCSC.”