JNU VC Calls UGC Rules 'Irrational', Labels Dalit Issues as 'Permanent Victimhood': Bahujan Outrage Erupts

New Delhi- Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit has ignited widespread outrage following her comments in a recent interview with journalist Joyeeta Basu for The Sunday Guardian. In the YouTube podcast titled "UGC regulation irrational, JNU VC Santishree D. Pandit tells Joyeeta Basu," Pandit described the University Grants Commission's (UGC) new Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations as "totally unnecessary" and "irrational". She argued that such measures create unnecessary hierarchies and could infringe on constitutional equality principles.

The most contentious part of her remarks involved her characterization of persistent claims of discrimination. Pandit stated: "There is a permanent victimhood. And you cannot progress by being permanently a victim or playing the victim card. This was done for blacks... the same things were brought for Dalits here." She likened "permanent victimhood" to a form of dependency that hinders advancement, drawing parallels between affirmative action efforts for Black communities in the US and those for Dalits in India.

Clips from the interview have gone viral on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter), where critics accuse her of insensitivity and inverting historical realities by portraying social justice measures as "punishment" for privileged groups.

The backlash from the Bahujan community, students, activists, and left-leaning political figures has been swift and intense. On X, prominent voices have condemned the remarks:

CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby posted: "Ridiculing the plight of Dalits as 'permanent victimhood' is nothing but an attempt to whitewash systemic oppression and institutional discrimination which has been going on for millennia... She should tender her resignation immediately."

Senior IRS Officer Nethrapal condemned her statement strongly in an x post where he wrote, "Talking for rights of SC ST OBCs is not victimhood. It's our strength and today millions of SC ST OBC minds are liberated. They talk fearlessly. They are educated. They know the trap set by the Liberal savaranas who use us only for their votes but promote only their kith and kin. They have created structural barriers like rosters, interviews, empanelment to avoid our people from reaching the top. It's not Victimhood which we talk about. It's our rights and this VC nor any big force can't stop us from talking for our rights. Give us our rightful place in our motherland and that is a simple demand. Nothing less Nothing more... We will never allow monopolizing wealth,education, positions of power to handful of communities."

Dipankar from CPI(ML) Liberation noted the irony: "No crazy pseudo-journalist humiliating Dalits... it's the JNU VC saying Dalits are drugged with 'victimhood'!

Social media users have pointed out Pandit's self-identified RSS affiliation and Brahmin background, arguing that her views reflect a bias favoring upper-caste privileges while dismissing ongoing caste discrimination in higher education institutions such as biases in admissions, vivas, faculty recruitment, and grading.

The UGC regulations in question aim to address caste-based discrimination on campuses, building on past incidents like those involving Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi. Critics of Pandit's stance argue that labeling equity efforts as "irrational" ignores persistent institutional barriers and historical injustices. Supporters of her position, however, have defended the comments as a call for merit-based progress without perpetual identity-based grievances.

The controversy has reignited debates on caste, reservation policies, affirmative action, and the role of equity measures in Indian higher education. Hashtags such as #RemoveSantishreePandit, #DalitLivesMatter, and #JNUAgainstCasteism are trending, with calls for her resignation growing louder amid ongoing campus tensions, including recent student union issues.