Archive · 3 Sep 2025
JNU V-C Faces Notice Over Alleged PhD Admission Discrimination
Imagine JNU is like a school, and they're choosing students for a special advanced class (PhD).
Some students from different backgrounds, like those from specific communities, have a better chance of getting in to make sure everyone has a fair shot.
A student complained that JNU didn't follow these rules when choosing who could take the interviews.
This student said some students from these groups with good grades weren't called for interviews, while others with lower scores were.
He also said the rules seemed to favor the students who are not in reserved category.
The government's fairness police (NCSC) is now checking to see if the school did anything wrong.
The school’s current head said she wasn't in charge then and to ask the previous leader about the issues.
The complaint is about fairness, saying the school might have treated some students unfairly.
The NCSC issued a notice to JNU's V-C regarding a complaint about alleged discrimination in PhD admissions.
The complaint, filed by a doctoral fellow, alleges violations of reservation policies during the 2021-22 admission process.
The complainant claims students from reserved categories were denied interview calls despite higher marks.
The cut-off for general category was lower than the reserved categories in the viva calling process, according to the complaint.
The NCSC has requested information and may issue summons if no reply is received.
- Who
- The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), doctoral fellow Rakhohori Bag, and the Vice-Chancellors of JNU.
- What
- The NCSC issued a notice to JNU's V-C concerning allegations of discrimination in PhD admissions during the 2021-22 academic year.
- When
- The notice was issued recently, regarding admissions from the 2021-22 academic year.
- Where
- Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
- Why
- The notice was issued in response to a complaint alleging violations of reservation policies in the PhD admission process, specifically regarding the viva-voce process.
Allegations of Discrimination
Administration Response
PhD Admission Process
Allegations of Discrimination
The complaint alleges that the PhD admission process during 2021-22 violated reservation policies, particularly during the viva-voce calling phase. Specifically, the complainant mentioned the lower cut-offs for the general category and the sharing of candidate categories during the viva process.
Administration Response
The current JNU V-C requested queries be directed to the previous administration and those involved. The former V-C, M Jagadesh Kumar, could not be reached for comment.
- Organization
- Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
- Allegation
- Violation of reservation policies in PhD admissions
- Complaint Filed By
- Doctoral fellow Rakhohori Bag
- Notice Issued By
- National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)
- Former V-C
- M Jagadesh Kumar
- Current V-C
- Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit
- Admission Year Under Scrutiny
- 2021-22