Karnataka's Rohith Vemula bill proposes jail, fines for caste discrimination in higher education
The Federal has accessed draft copy of Rohit Vemula bill; victims or their kin can lodge police complaints, minimum 1-year imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fine for first-time offenders
In a major step towards institutional reform and social justice, the Karnataka government has drafted a landmark and highly significant legislation titled, 'The Karnataka Rohith Vemula (Prevention of Exclusion or Injustice) (Right to Education and Dignity) Bill, 2025'.
What makes this law special is its mandate – it bans discrimination of any kind during admissions to higher education institutions. In short, academically eligible students must be given admission irrespective of caste, class, religion, or gender.
Stopping systemic exclusion
The bill, named in memory of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula, seeks to prevent systemic exclusion and safeguard dignity, equity, and provide access for marginalised students across the state's higher education ecosystem.
The proposed bill provides a clear provision allowing affected parties to file complaints in cases of discrimination.
The person competent to file a complaint can be the victim, his or her parents, brother, sister, or any other person related to him or her by blood, marriage, or adoption, or any other person connected to him or her in any manner, including a colleague. The complaint can be filed at the jurisdictional police station.
Scale of punishment
Under the proposed law, individuals found guilty of discrimination can face imprisonment for up to one year. Additionally, the law suggests a punishment of one year in jail along with a fine of Rs 10,000 for acts of harassment or exclusion. Notably, the offence is classified as cognizable and non-bailable, ensuring stronger legal enforcement and immediate police action.
This legislation will apply to all government, private, and deemed universities in Karnataka. The Federal has accessed the draft copy prepared by the law ministry, which contains the detailed features of the Rohit Vemula Bill.
Also read: Karnataka: Dalit women continue to face discrimination in anganwadis, rural schools
Rohith Vemula’s name atop this legislation serves as a moral reminder of how institutions had failed to protect a young scholar full of ambition and ideas. The proposed law does more than legislate rights—it seeks to change the culture of how institutions respond to the vulnerable.
Changing culture
This is one of the first state-level legislative initiatives in the country dedicated specifically to preventing social discrimination in higher education and protecting students’ right to dignity. If enacted, the law could serve as a model for other Indian states to follow, said a minister in Siddaramaiah's cabinet who prefers to remain anonymous.
"The bill will be tabled in the Karnataka legislative assembly in the second week of July, " he revealed.
On Rahul Gandhi's appeal
The bill has been initiated in response to a direct appeal made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who urged the Karnataka government to enact a "Rohith Vemula Act" to curb caste-based discrimination in universities and protect students from backward communities.
In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on April 16, Rahul referred to his interactions with students from Dalit, Adivasi, and OBC backgrounds, who had shared accounts of social exclusion in institutions of higher learning.
Also read: ‘No tea, no haircut’: Upper castes impose social boycott on Dalits in Karnataka village
Why Bill named after him?
Rohith Vemula was a PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad, and a Dalit student activist associated with the Ambedkar Students' Association (ASA). In 2016, he was suspended from his university hostel along with other Dalit students, following alleged political pressure.
He died by suicide on January 17, 2016, leaving behind a deeply moving letter that highlighted the alienation, discrimination, and psychological torment he endured due to his caste identity.
His words –“My birth is my fatal accident” – struck a national nerve, triggering protests, outrage, and calls for systemic change across India. Rohith’s death became a symbol of institutional casteism in Indian universities, and a rallying point for student movements and anti-discrimination campaigns.
By invoking his name, the Karnataka bill acknowledges this tragic failure of the system and seeks to legislate safeguards to ensure that no student experiences such exclusion, indignity, or abandonment again.
For inclusion and justice
The proposed law aims to address caste, community, and religion-based exclusion in all institutions of higher learning in Karnataka – be it public, private, or deemed universities. It affirms the constitutional right to education and dignity for students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and religious minorities.
The bill underlines that access to education must be “open to academically eligible students irrespective of caste, class, creed, gender or nation,” reinforcing affirmative action while upholding merit-based admission standards aligned with existing state government reservations.
Also read: Karnataka Cabinet approves new Caste Census amid internal opposition
Strong punitive measures
The key features of the draft bill are:
• Prohibits discrimination against SC, ST, OBC, and minority students in higher education institutions
• Empowers victims or their kin to lodge complaints directly with the police
It also criminalises discriminatory practices, prescribing a minimum one-year imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fine for first-time offenders; enhanced punishment for repeat offences: minimum three-year imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine; mandatory compensation of upto Rs 1 lakh to victims, in addition to fines.
Non-bailable
Notably, all the offences under this Act are declared non-bailable and cognizable, ensuring swift police intervention. Institutions found violating the Act would face punitive action against their heads and administrators and would forfeit eligibility for government grants or financial assistance.
Accountability
The draft bill holds not just individuals but also institutions accountable, including any person who abets or aids the offence. It ensures that educational institutions cannot escape liability by attributing blame solely to individuals. Additionally, the draft bill grants the state government the power to frame rules, lay them before the legislature, and resolve implementation difficulties through official orders for up to two years after the Act comes into force.
Fostering inclusive spaces
The bill is expected to generate debates in academic and political circles. Civil society groups have long called for a legal mechanism to prevent the kind of institutional neglect and discrimination that led to Vemula’s death.For now, Karnataka has taken a step toward ensuring that universities become inclusive spaces of learning, not sites of silent suffering.