Students questioned how an academic facing a serious allegation under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act could be elevated to a national-level university body when the complainant has yet to receive justice.
Published Nov 27, 2025 | 4:44 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 27, 2025 | 4:44 PM
Prof CN Vijayakumari. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The three-year nomination comes even as Prof. Vijayakumari faces a police case and student protests over allegations of caste-based discrimination raised by a research scholar.
In a move that has triggered sharp reactions on campus the President of India has nominated Prof CN Vijayakumari, Head of the Department of Sanskrit and Dean of the Faculty of oriental studies at the University of Kerala to the Court of Pondicherry Central University, the apex statutory body of the institution.
The three-year nomination comes even as Prof. Vijayakumari faces a police case and student protests over allegations of caste-based discrimination raised by a research scholar.
The announcement of Prof. Vijayakumari’s nomination, the first time a teaching faculty member from the University of Kerala has received such recognition has drawn criticism from various student organisations, including the SFI.
Students questioned how an academic facing a serious allegation under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act could be elevated to a national-level university body when the complainant has yet to receive justice.
Earlier protesting students blocked Prof. Vijayakumari in front of her office at the Karyavattom campus for nearly an hour, demanding action on the complaint lodged by the research scholar.
Following the police registering an FIR based on the scholar’s complaint, Prof. Vijayakumari approached the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail.
The court has stayed her arrest, allowing her to continue in service.
This legal protection has enabled her to retain her position as Dean, even while the investigation continues.
The dispute first came to light in early November when Vipin Vijayan, a research scholar from the Sanskrit department, made public allegations of caste discrimination against Prof. Vijayakumari.
According to Vipin’s complaint lodged with the Kazhakootam Police, the Dean repeatedly targeted him with casteist remarks and attempted to block the awarding of his PhD degree.
He alleged she had told him that “Pulayans should not study Sanskrit” and that the department’s standards had fallen due to the entry of “Pulayan and Parayan students”.
Vipin further claimed that the professor belittled his academic abilities, allegedly telling him, “you have polluted the language of the gods. Sanskrit will not yield to low castes like you.”
He accused her of obstructing his academic advancement, including attempts to withhold his PhD despite favourable reports from subject experts assigned by the VC.
The conflict intensified after Prof. Vijayakumari sent a letter to the VC insisting that Vipin’s open defence be conducted again, arguing that his performance did not meet academic standards.
She accused the scholar of failing to respond adequately in Sanskrit, English, or Malayalam and claimed the defence was disrupted by his supporters.
Vipin countered this, noting that he holds an MPhil in Sanskrit from the same department, supervised by Prof. Vijayakumari herself, questioning how she could now claim he does not know Sanskrit.
Meanwhile, the VC recently approved the awarding of PhD degrees to 64 scholars, excluding Vipin, further deepening the dispute within the academic community.
Vipin’s detailed FB post about his experiences triggered widespread discussion, eventually prompting governmental oversight and a university-level inquiry.
The Kerala University VC has ordered a probe by the Registrar and Director of Research into the handling of the scholar’s PhD process.
Simultaneously, the police are conducting a preliminary inquiry based on Vipin’s SC/ST Act complaint.
Even as these investigations proceed, Prof. Vijayakumari’s appointment to the Pondicherry Central University Court has sharpened criticism from students and activists, who argue that such a promotion undermines the seriousness of the allegations.
(With inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman)
