Bangalore University professor accused of harassing student over reservation status, regional differences

A student, hailing from Raichur, accused a Bangalore University (BU) professor of harassing and insulting him based on his reservation status and his native place.

A first-year postgraduate (PG) Political Science student, Krishna (name changed), filed a complaint against a professor of the Department of Political Science, alleging that she had harassed him based on his regional status and it had affected his mental health. Based on the complaint filed by the student, he stated that he had approached the professor to receive his marks card. However, she had refused to issue him the marks card due to an administration issue. As the student was in a hurry, he had pressed the professor to issue the marks card to him, following which, he had alleged that the professor had insulted him based on regional differences, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

In the complaint, he had alleged that the professor had insulted him, alluding to the fact that those from the Kalyan Karnataka region have a tendency to act in a rowdy way towards others. In addition, he alleged that she had also claimed that he had received the seat at the university only based on his reservation status, rather than his merit.

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However, the issue has posed confusion as a few students state that the complaint may have come as a way to target the professor due to prior incidents. “The professor and the department itself has made a reputation for being a little bit strict with students, so there might have been a personal grudge against the professor itself. It is really unclear as to whether the complaint is legitimate or not, but it is currently being handled by the university. The professor also denied that she made the statement,” Lokesh Ram, Vice-President of the Bangalore University Postgraduate and Research Scholars Association as reported by The New Indian Express

The issue had occurred on Thursday, following which, another similar incident was reported by a student against a professor of the Department of Electronic Media. Both issues led to students protesting on Friday against discrimination within the university. According to Lokesh, Vice-Chancellor Dr S M Jayakar and Registrar Mahesh Babu spoke to the students.

Following this, a circular was issued by the university, stating that students must be treated equally, without any discrimination against them. The vice-chancellor also stated that an internal investigation into the issue is currently ongoing to understand what had occurred. “It is hereby directed that the heads of all departments and the principals of the university’s affiliated colleges, shall treat students equally without any kind of discrimination,” the circular said as reported by The New Indian Express.