The Karnataka government has prepared the draft of the Rohith Vemula Bill, which aims at preventing discrimination against students belonging to Scheduled castes (SC), Scheduled tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and minority communities in higher educational institutions, in a development that comes days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s letter in the matter to chief minister Siddaramaiah.
The draft bill — titled Karnataka Rohith Vemula (Prevention of Exclusion or Injustice), (Right to Education and Dignity) Bill, 2025 — proposes up to one-year jail term and ₹10,000 fine for those discriminating against SC, ST, OBC and minority students. The government will also hold accountable the head of the higher education institution where discrimination is reported, according to the proposed bill, seen by HT.
“This Bill seeks to prevent exclusion, discrimination, or injustice against students belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes (OBC) and minorities in institutions of higher learning under the purview of the department of higher education,” the proposed bill’s objective states.
State’s law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil told HT that he has sent the proposed legislation to the CM, adding the government could either table it in the next session of the legislature or bring an ordinance.
“The primary objective of the proposed legislation is to ensure that all students, regardless of caste, class, creed, gender, or nationality, are provided equal access to higher education, as well as to safeguard their dignity and right to fair treatment on campus,” Patil said.
{{/usCountry}}“The primary objective of the proposed legislation is to ensure that all students, regardless of caste, class, creed, gender, or nationality, are provided equal access to higher education, as well as to safeguard their dignity and right to fair treatment on campus,” Patil said.
{{/usCountry}}Sharing details about the proposed bill, Patil said it envisages prohibition of discrimination in admissions or within the campus environment; provision for lodging complaints in case of violation; punitive measures for individuals and institutions found guilty of discriminatory practices and withdrawal of government’s financial aid to institutions violating the law.
Once implemented by the department of higher education, the law will be applicable across all 34 government universities, 16 deemed universities and 10 private universities in the state.
“With the government’s steadfast commitment to social justice and equality, this will be a landmark bill. The drafting of the bill was undertaken with utmost care and deliberation, in consultation with esteemed legal luminaries and experts, to ensure that the proposed legislation stands on strong constitutional footing while upholding the principles of fairness, inclusivity, and dignity for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes, and minorities,” Patil said.
“This collective and thoughtful approach reflects the government’s resolve to create an educational ecosystem where every individual is empowered to pursue knowledge without barriers or discrimination,” he further said.
The development comes less than a week after former Congress president wrote to Siddaramaiah, urging the party-led state government to enact a law named Rohith Vemula Act for ensuring that no one faces caste-based discrimination in the education system.
“It is a shame that even today millions of students from Dalit, Adivasi and OBC communities have to face such brutal discrimination in our educational system,” Gandhi wrote in his letter dated April 16 to Siddaramaiah.
Vemula, a PhD scholar in University of Hyderabad, died by suicide allegedly due to caste-based discrimination in 2016.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also shared the letter, in which he highlighted the discrimination BR Ambedkar faced in his lifetime, on X on April 18.
Responding to Gandhi’s post, Siddaramaiah wrote on X: “Our Government stands firm in its resolve to enact the Rohith Vemula Act in Karnataka — to ensure no student faces discrimination based on caste, class, or religion. We will bring this legislation at the earliest to honour the dreams of Rohith, Payal, Darshan, and countless others who deserved dignity, not exclusion.”
Patil said the bill was being worked out by the parliamentary affairs and legislation department. “We fast forwarded the exercise after Rahul Gandhi’s letter,” he said.
The former Congress president has also urged party-ruled Telangana and Himachal Pradesh to come up with the Rohith Vemula Act to end caste discrimination in education system.