The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA) wrote an open letter to Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday seeking clarity on the Centre's position regarding alleged controversial remarks on caste by JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit. The teachers' body said the vice-chancellor's comments, made during a podcast which has been widely circulated online, were "shocking" and warranted a response from the Ministry of Education. JNUTA also criticised what it described as the education ministry's silence over the issue, contrasting it with the police action taken earlier when JNU students attempted to march to the ministry on February 26. According to the teachers' body, the lack of response has raised questions about the Union government's commitment to addressing caste discrimination in higher education institutions. It claimed that the V-C's remarks in the podcast, where she allegedly described caste discrimination as a "manufactured reality" linked to a "permanent victimhood" mindset, were not only consistent with her administrative approach but added a "new and disturbing dimension" to it.

Source: The Telegraph March 05, 2026 10:04 UTC