Senior IRS Officer Nethrapal Exposes Shocking Reality: Dalit-OBC-Adivasi Suffering in India Unique and Far More Severe Than Black Victimhood in America

New Delhi - In a recent Science Journey podcast, senior IRS officer Nethra Pal launched a scathing attack on the controversial statement of Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor Shantishree Dhulipudi Pandit. He revealed that the VC claimed Dalits have become “addicted to victimhood,” they play the victim by saying things like not getting water for centuries.

NethraPal called it a clear bias and prejudice and said that the person who made this statement is the head of an institution where the number of SC-ST-OBC students is very high. He stressed that around 9 crore SC-ST-OBC students are studying in universities across India, which is a very large number, yet showing such a mentality exposes prejudice.

Nethrapal strongly condemned this as deep prejudice and bias coming from the head of an institution where SC-ST-OBC students are present in huge numbers. He pointed out that across India, nearly 9 crore SC-ST-OBC students are studying in universities – a massive figure – yet such a mindset shows clear prejudice.

To drive his point home, Nethrapal presented hard comparative data. He highlighted Harvard University’s 2023 Diversity Report, which shows that Faculty of Color (non-White faculty) constitute 22% of the total (232 out of 1,068 faculty members), including Black, Hispanic and others. In stark contrast, in IITs the representation of SC-ST-OBC faculty is just 1.92%, and in IIMs it is less than 0.8%.

He explained that despite centuries of oppression faced by Black people in America, affirmative action in the private sector has helped them achieve 22% faculty representation at Harvard. But in India, the problem of Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis is completely unique in the world – far more severe than Black victimhood. Even though they form over 85% of India’s population, their representation in top institutions like IITs and IIMs is below 2%. Nethrapal stressed that the comparison is unfair because India has no affirmative action in the private sector, unlike America.

The officer then gave a detailed breakdown of the UGC 2026 Regulations that have sparked massive controversy. Opponents claim the new rules divide Hindu society and that OBCs were included only for political reasons by Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Nethrapal clarified the facts: the 2012 UGC Regulations applied only to SC-ST. OBCs were added later on the strong recommendation of a 31-member Parliamentary Committee, where the majority were from upper castes. The committee reviewed data on atrocities against OBCs and explicitly directed the government to include them.

He reminded that OBC reservation in central educational institutions began only after the 2006 Act and the Ashoka Kumar Thakur Supreme Court judgment, and was implemented in universities from 2013 onwards. In medical PG courses, it started as late as 2021. The inclusion of OBCs came after suicides of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, when the Supreme Court directed proper implementation of the 2012 regulations.

He emphasized that SC-ST got reservation soon after Independence, but OBCs had to fight till 1990, and even after that, universities delayed implementation till 2012. This has resulted in 50-60 years of lost generations for OBCs – their rightful share of education, jobs and resources was snatched away, filling the stomachs and pockets of the privileged.

On current education data, Nethrapal showed that at primary level, General category representation is only 11.85%, rising to nearly 50% in graduation and 43% in medical courses because of massive dropouts among SC-ST-OBC students. SC representation falls from 21% at primary to 4.72% in engineering graduation. OBCs show similar sharp decline. Drop-out and suicide rates are alarmingly high in IITs for SC-ST-OBC students, but almost zero in Anna University in Chennai – proving it is institutional discrimination, not lack of merit.

In central universities, OBC professors are just 1.1%, ST 0.55%, while Muslims have 45.2% (due to minority institutions). In state universities, OBC representation reaches around 33%, still far below their 65% population share. Most shocking: 95.5% OBC professor posts in central universities are vacant, 91.95% associate professor posts vacant, and 78% SC posts vacant. In Delhi University, not a single principal belongs to SC-ST.

Nethrapal concluded that this is blatant institutional discrimination. Vice Chancellors, already biased with “victimhood” mindset, head Equity Committees, making justice impossible. He said the UGC 2026 Regulations will impact nearly 5 crore SC-ST-OBC students who have only education as their weapon. Claiming Rights is not victimhood. The conviction rate in SC-ST atrocity cases in Uttar Pradesh is 70-80%, higher than murder or rape cases, yet false-case propaganda continues.

In his final remarks, Nethrapal said the government cannot take this lightly. He also supported the idea of opening Buddhist minority universities so Bahujans are not at the mercy of a biased system.