What you need to know about Karnataka’s Rohith Vemula Bill
The Karnataka Rohith Vemula Bill, 2026, has received cabinet approval after extensive discussions, aiming to prevent caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions. It defines and prohibits caste-based harassment and discrimination against SC/ST students, faculty, and staff, extending protections beyond classrooms to online and residential spaces. The Bill guarantees equal access to education and recognises rights to collective action and confidentiality of caste identity.
- ▪The Bill was drafted following the 2016 death of Dalit PhD scholar Rohith Vemula and increased advocacy for anti-caste legislation.
- ▪It defines caste-based harassment as any verbal, written, visual, or digital behaviour that humiliates or threatens the dignity of SC/ST individuals based on caste.
- ▪The legislation applies to all higher educational institutions in Karnataka, including public, private, and deemed universities.
- ▪Prohibited actions include discriminatory practices in admissions, recruitment, and social interactions, with a list of 30 specific caste-based offences.
- ▪The Bill protects the right of SC/ST individuals to organise, express anti-caste views, and maintain confidentiality about their caste without facing penalties.
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The Karnataka Rohith Vemula (Prevention of Discrimination, Exclusion or Injustice) (Right to Education and Dignity) Bill, 2026, received cabinet nod in April after months of deliberations and debates. The revised Bill aims to prevent exclusion and injustice while safeguarding the right to education and the dignity of students, teaching faculty, and non-teaching staff belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/ST). It guarantees equal access to education in all higher educational institutions across Karnataka, including public, private, charitable institutions and deemed universities.Brief history of the Bill Following the death of Rohith Vemula, a 26-year-old Dalit PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad in 2016, political and civil society pressure has been building up for…
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