Alumnus charges University of Hyderabad faculty of casteist abuse; varsity receives counter-complaint | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: A controversy erupted on the University of Hyderabad (UoH) campus after an alumnus lodged a complaint with the varsity administration against a faculty member for allegedly subjecting him to ‘casteist’, ‘classist’ and ‘communal’ abuse. The student is currently pursuing his PhD at a university in the UK.While the professor could not be reached for comment, a UoH official confirmed that a complaint had been filed against the faculty member. “The faculty member too has filed a counter-complaint alleging that students are tarnishing his reputation. The varsity is looking into the issue,” the official said.In the complaint to the varsity, backed by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) units in Hyderabad and the UK, the student alleged that the faculty member, during an academic engagement, not only berated him and his background, but also made highly objectionable remarks about Dalits and students from the Bihar-Jharkhand belt.“What began as an academic exchange over revisions to a book chapter turned into abuse when the student explained the ethical constraints that required him to anonymise individuals in his research. Instead of academically engaging with the concern, (the faculty member) wrote an email on April 16, 2026, mocking Dalit students and those from Bihar and Jharkhand and commenting that ‘class’ cannot be acquired but must be inherited,” the SFI HCU unit said in its statement.The SFI HCU unit threatened to stage a massive protest if UoH failed to initiate action against the faculty member. The SFI demanded his immediate removal from all positions at UoH following a transparent inquiry.Copies of the emails exchanged between the student and the faculty member are with the TOI.