Vipin Vijayan, a research scholar at the University of Kerala who has been at the center of a controversy surrounding his PhD, has filed a complaint with the Thiruvananthapuram City Police alleging caste-based discrimination by the Head of the Department (HoD) of Sanskrit, CN Vijayakumari.
In his complaint submitted to Deputy Commissioner of Police Kazhakuttam, Mr. Vijayan sought steps to register a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to the complaint, Professor Vijayakumari, who is also the Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, was alleged to have made casteist remarks and obstructed the scientist’s research. He claimed that the professor told him that people from backward castes should not study Sanskrit and that “the sanctity of the department was lost” because “lower caste” students were admitted.
Mr. Vijayan also alleged that despite supervising his MPhil dissertation and confirming his expertise in Sanskrit, during the open defense of his Ph.D., Prof. Vijayakumari declared ineligible for Ph.D. He claimed that this amounted to an attempt to sabotage his academic career due to personal bias.
Complaint to VC
The scholar has also submitted a written complaint to the Vice-Chancellor (VC), urging strict action against the professor.
Bindu promises a probe
Higher Education Minister R. Bindu condemned the incident and promised a comprehensive investigation into the matter. She argued that no student, especially one from a socially or economically disadvantaged background, should face any obstacles in the pursuit of knowledge. “It is very unfortunate and contradictory that the same teacher who certified the student’s MPhil dissertation now claims that the student does not know the language. Completing a dissertation and successfully defending it before experts requires immense effort and intellectual commitment. Such remarks are deeply regrettable,” she said.
Dr. Bindu added that the faculty member’s comments could be seen as a display of personal bias and discrimination that should never happen on college campuses.
Published – 07 Nov 2025 20:13 IST
