Landmark law will need systemic revamp

Deccan Herald

23-04-2025

With Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressing his inclination to enact the Rohith Vemula Act, as advocated by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the state is poised to pioneer a law specifically aimed at shielding Dalit and marginalised students from harassment and oppression in educational institutions. The draft legislation – The Karnataka Rohith Vemula (Prevention of Exclusion or Injustice) (Right to Education and Dignity) Bill – proposes a one-year jail term and a fine of Rs 10,000 for those discriminating against SC, ST, OBC and minority students. The US, too, has a similar law. Vemula, a 26-year-old PhD student from a marginalised background, died by suicide in 2018, citing systemic discrimination at the University of Hyderabad. His death, which sparked nation-wide protests, was not an isolated incident. The government admitted in Parliament that most student suicides in premier institutes – IITs, IIMs, and medical colleges – involved students from Dalit and other oppressed communities. Over 19,000 students from these backgrounds dropped out from central universities and public institutions in just five years leading up to 2023, underlining the scale of exclusion..Draft Rohith Vemula Act moots compensation.Despite constitutional safeguards, caste-based discrimination remains embedded on campuses. B R Ambedkar, the architect of India's constitution, himself endured humiliation and segregation in school – yet, over a century later, little has changed. Reports like the ones by the Prof S K Thorat Committee (2007) and the Mungekar Committee (2012) have repeatedly documented the exclusion and abuse faced by Dalit students – called by their caste names, sidelined academically, and denied fellowships, forcing them to fight for their rights. Even today, caste-based segregation in hostels persists. The UGC's Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions guidelines aim to curb such discrimination, but enforcement remains lax. Anti-discrimination officers remain toothless, while reserved category students are often stigmatised as 'quota students'..While the Rohith Vemula Act is necessary, it is not sufficient. Real reform must begin at the primary and secondary school levels where Dalit students often lack access to quality education, which affects their confidence and academic performance in higher education. A dedicated mechanism to monitor and address campus discrimination is essential. So is a broader societal shift. Campuses must become sanctuaries of equality, not oppression. Centuries of caste injustice cannot be undone with a single law. The privileged must acknowledge their role in perpetuating inequity and work towards dismantling it. As Karnataka considers this legislation, let it be remembered that laws can initiate change, but lasting justice demands collective conscience and compassion.