After Rahul Gandhi's nudge, Rohith Vemula Bill likely during Karnataka legislature's Monsoon Session
The Karnataka Rohith Vemula (Prevention of Exclusion or Injustice)(Right to Education and Dignity) Bill, 2025, is expected to be tabled in the upcoming Monsoon Session of the legislature. The Bill aims to 'prevent exclusion or injustice and to safeguard the right to education and dignity for the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and minorities and to provide equal access and right to education in all public or Private or Deemed Universities established in the State of Karnataka'.
Offence under the legislation, as per the draft accessed by The Indian Express, will be non-bailable and cognisable. Every person who discriminates and every person who aids or abets in the episode are liable for punishment.
The first offence under its provisions will attract a punishment of one year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000, and empower the courts to grant compensation payable by the accused to the victim, which may extend to Rs 1 lakh. Repeat offence under the Act will be penalised with a three-year jail term apart from a Rs 1 lakh fine.
If an institution violates the provision of being 'open to all classes, castes, creed, gender or nation', then it will attract a similar penalty. Moreover, the state government 'shall not provide any financial aid or grant to such institution' violating the provisions of the Bill.
In April this year, Gandhi wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to bring a legislation named after Vemula to prevent caste-based prejudice in higher educational institutions. Following this, Siddaramaiah said the Karnataka Congress government was committed to ensuring that the oppressed classes did not face any discrimination in the educational system.
The proposed legislation was also part of the Congress manifesto for the Karnataka Assembly elections. Vemula ended his life at the University of Hyderabad in January 2016 in protest against caste discrimination.
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