Tirupati- The photograph that surfaced June 20, from Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University's Dairy Technology College in Andhra Pradesh captured more than just an image—it exposed the deep-rooted caste discrimination still plaguing India's educational institutions. Dr. V. Ravi Varma, a Dalit assistant professor, sat on the floor of his office, working with his computer, surrounded by scattered papers. His chair had been removed by Associate Dean Ravindra Reddy, who claimed it "belonged to another department."

For Dr. Ravi, a contractual faculty member, the missing chair was merely the latest insult in a 20-year struggle for dignity, equal pay, and fair treatment in an institution that has repeatedly denied him his rights—despite court orders, UGC regulations, and even a plea to the President of India.

A Lifetime of Discrimination

Dr. Ravi’s ordeal stretches back to 2005, when he was first appointed as a contractual Assistant Professor in the Dairy Technology department. Despite performing the same duties as his permanent colleagues, he was paid a fraction of their salary, his contract renewed every six months with a two-to-three-day break—a tactic commonly used to deny contractual workers job security.

In 2010, the University Grants Commission (UGC) mandated that contractual teachers must receive equal pay for equal work. When SVVU ignored this, Dr. Ravi approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court. In 2014, the court ruled in his favor, ordering the university to pay him wages equivalent to a permanent Assistant Professor. Yet, SVVU defiantly refused, falsely claiming he lacked the NET qualification—a requirement that didn’t even apply to his AICTE-governed engineering discipline.

The SV Veterinary University in response to the directions from AP High Court stated that Varma is not eligible for emoluments suggested by UGC since his selection was not affected via Selection Committee and he does not possess NET qualification as suggested by UGC.

This statement was in contradiction to what the University did in 2012 and 2013 where NET qualification was ignored and relaxed for selection and granted regular pay scales suggested by UGC. Even today there are 5 Assistant Professors without minimum essential qualification of National Eligibility Test but still enjoying the benefit of Regular pay scale with all allowances.

RTI documents reveal that between 2012–2013, SVVU had hired over 150 faculty members without NET qualifications, all of whom received full salaries and promotions. Meanwhile, Dr. Ravi—despite Supreme Court judgments (2016) upholding "equal pay for equal work" and repeated orders from the AP SC/ST Commission—remained trapped in contractual limbo.

In October 2024, Dr Varma approched the Vice Chancellor, SVVU, Tirupati and brought the contents to his notice. The VC assured to oversee the compliance, however, the file is pending till date.

The Missing Chair: A Deliberate Act of Humiliation?

The recent incident where Dr. Ravi sat on the floor as 'an act of protest' has drawn parallels to historical caste-based humiliation, where Dalits were denied basic dignity.

According to university sources, the HoD had received a supply of new chairs and provided one to Dr. Ravi Varma, but when he took a day's leave on June 19, Associate Dean Dr. Reddy removed the chair, claiming it was meant for other department. The following day, after noticing Dr. Varma's chair was missing, the HoD temporarily placed a visitor's chair in his office as a replacement. However, upon returning, Dr. Varma protested the humiliation by sitting on the floor, demanding to know how he was expected to work without proper seating. The situation escalated until the Vice-Chancellor and Principal intervened, mediating between the parties, with unnamed sources later claiming that Dr. Reddy had apologized. However, these details remain unverified.

Associate Dean Ravindra Reddy claimed the chair was "moved" because it belonged to another department—a flimsy excuse, given that no other faculty faced such treatment.

Few faculty members believe the removal of Dr. Ravi's chair was intentional, a targeted act by the administration, given his 20-year fight for pay parity and the pending contempt proceedings against the university for flouting judicial orders.

The YSR Congress Party slammed Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for silence, asking: "Why is a Dalit professor being treated like this under your watch?"

Exhausted by institutional apathy, Dr. Ravi has written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu on May 23, 2025, detailing his two-decade-long ordeal. He revealed how the university's own comptroller had recommended in 2020 that he be paid arrears from 2014, as per court orders. Yet, no action was taken.

The Vice-Chancellor, in a 2024 meeting, promised justice but did nothing. Despite his qualifications and 20 years of service, he still earned less than a newly appointed permanent faculty member.

"I am not financially sound enough to keep fighting," he wrote, laying bare how the system exploits marginalized academics by dragging out legal battles until they are drained of resources.

The Mooknayak has sought responses from the VC and Registrar regarding the university's non-compliance with court orders; the report will be updated with their statements.