BAPSA Condemns Caste-Based Harassment and Illegal Suspension of ST Professor at MNNIT Allahabad

New Delhi- The Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA) has issued a scathing statement denouncing what it describes as a systematic, caste-driven campaign of persecution against Dr. M. Venkatesh Naik, an Assistant Professor from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community in the Electrical Engineering Department at Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) Allahabad. The statement, invoking Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's philosophy of self-help and dignity, accuses the institute's administration and faculty of Brahminical bias, fabricated charges, and deliberate sabotage of Dr. Naik's career since his appointment in 2012.

BAPSA's statement paints a harrowing picture of institutional discrimination, alleging that Dr. Naik has been denied basic academic opportunities, subjected to retaliatory actions, and ultimately suspended in a move timed to derail his promotion and silence his grievances. "This is not just an administrative issue, it is a caste atrocity, a direct assault on Articles 15(4), 16(4A), and 21 of the Constitution and a violation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989," the statement declares, framing the ordeal as emblematic of broader challenges faced by Bahujan (Dalit, Adivasi, and OBC) educators in India's technical institutions.

A Timeline of Alleged Discrimination and Retaliation

According to the detailed chronology outlined in BAPSA's statement, Dr. Naik's troubles began shortly after he joined MNNIT in 2012. Despite earning his Ph.D. in 2017, he was systematically sidelined:

- 2017–2019: Denial of Ph.D. Supervision Opportunities

While other faculty members, including those who joined later, were assigned multiple Ph.D. students, essential for academic credit and promotions- Dr. Naik received none. This exclusion, BAPSA claims, was a calculated move to undermine his eligibility for advancement.

- 2020: Delayed Assignment and Promotion Roadblocks

Dr. Naik was finally allotted one Ph.D. student in 2020, but this three-year delay was weaponized against him in 2024 during the Associate Professor selection process, resulting in his non-shortlisting. In a stark illustration of alleged bias, three other faculty members were promoted in January 2025, leaving Dr. Naik, the department's sole ST faculty member, as the only exclusion.

- Escalation Through Legal and Oversight Channels

Seeking redress, Dr. Naik approached the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST). However, BAPSA alleges the hearings were marred by procedural lapses: officials failed to verify his documents, delayed minutes for months, and even physically removed him from a session, exacerbating his trauma. Undeterred, he escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, prompting what the statement calls a vicious backlash from the institute.

Fabricated Charges, Faculty Cartel, and Suspicious Suspension

The statement accuses MNNIT of retaliatory tactics, including:

- Issuing Central Civil Services (CCS)-based disciplinary notices over "misconduct" claims stemming from routine academic emails.

- Fabricating charges and backdating complaints to justify actions.

- Withdrawing Dr. Naik's assigned Ph.D. student mere days after NCST's directive to allocate more.

In a particularly inflammatory episode, 22 faculty members, allegedly dominated by upper-caste groups, convened a meeting to pass a resolution demanding "strict action" against him, which BAPSA labels a "biased" and discriminatory cartel. The suspension order followed immediately after Dr. Naik applied for promotion, coinciding with a Parliamentary Committee inquiry into his grievances. Even after the committee mandated revocation via an emergency Board of Governors meeting, the institute allegedly stalled by deferring to the Ministry of Education, demonstrating "clear malice and institutional arrogance.

BAPSA further highlights Dr. Naik's isolation as the only South Indian ST faculty member in the department, compounded by administrative manipulations such as forged records, tampered documents, and local police refusal to register an FIR under the SC/ST Act despite evidence of atrocities.

In response to this "entrenched Brahminical cartel," BAPSA has outlined a series of urgent demands including immediate revocation of Dr. Naik's "illegal" suspension, registration of an FIR under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the Director, Registrar, and implicated officials, full implementation of NCST directives, including restoring withdrawn Ph.D. students and correcting manipulated records, restoration of Dr. Naik's promotion rights with compensation for lost academic seniority, disciplinary action against the 22 faculty members involved in the discriminatory resolution, public disclosure of all tampered or backdated documents by MNNIT authorities and a high-level, independent inquiry by the Ministry of Education into the pattern of discrimination and procedural misuse.

BAPSA also urges for accountability measures against NCST officials for failing in their mandate to protect ST rights and broader guarantees of safety, dignity, and equal participation for Bahujan faculty and students across MNNIT and similar institutions.

BAPSA's statement concludes with a powerful call to action, emphasizing Dr. Naik's resilience as a reflection of Ambedkarite ideals. "We stand in unwavering solidarity with Dr. M. Venkatesh Naik, whose experience reflects the harsh reality faced by many Bahujan teachers in Brahminical academic spaces," it reads. "This is a battle not just for one faculty member but for the entire Bahujan community’s right to liberate educational spaces from caste oppression."