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Taking cognisance of serious allegations of caste discrimination at Dr Rajendra Prasad National Law University, Prayagraj, the Allahabad High Court has ordered the constitution of two separate committees to probe the charges and re-evaluate a student's answer sheets.
A single bench of Justice Vinod Diwakar passed this order on a petition jointly filed by Shubhendu Anand, a PhD research scholar at the university, and a student in the fifth semester of the BA LLB (Hons) course residing in the boys' hostel. The petition alleges that the Head of the Department of Law and the hostel warden abused their academic and administrative authority as a weapon for caste-based humiliation and retribution. According to the petition, the student claimed that despite scoring the highest marks in Constitutional Law-I, he had to face objectionable remarks and suspected that his answer sheets were evaluated far more strictly on the basis of his caste. The student had previously lodged a complaint with the Vice-Chancellor on August 20, 2026, but alleged that no action was taken. The court clarified that it has not expressed any opinion on the veracity of the allegations, but considering their seriousness, an impartial inquiry is necessary. The court directed that the Vice-Chancellor shall constitute an independent committee to re-evaluate the student's answer sheets, ensuring that the original evaluator has no role in it. The evaluation is to be conducted with the identity on the answer sheets concealed (masked evaluation), and the report must be submitted within a week. Judge of the Small Cause Court, Archana Singh-I, and Special Chief Judicial Magistrate Arun Kumar Yadav have been directed to investigate the complaints of caste discrimination and submit their report to the court in a sealed cover. The court also ordered that respondent number six be kept away from the students evaluation or disciplinary matters until the completion of the inquiry and be relieved of all administrative responsibilities with immediate effect. The university is also required to disclose whether it has an Equal Opportunity Cell and a Grievance Redressal Committee for SC/ST students in place under UGC regulations. Directions have also been issued to maintain confidentiality and protect the identity of witnesses. The next hearing of the case will take place on September 24, 2026. (ANI)
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