In a significant development, the syndicate body of Rani Channamma University (RCU) in Belagavi has decided to confer a PhD convocation certificate to scholar Sujata Pol. This decision comes days after Pol attempted suicide by consuming sleeping pills, alleging severe caste-based harassment by university authorities.
Emergency Meeting and University's Stance
Vice-Chancellor Prof CM Thyagaraja called an emergency press conference on Thursday alongside syndicate members. He revealed that an emergency meeting was convened earlier that day in response to the grave situation. The syndicate resolved to issue her convocation certificate on humanitarian grounds to protect the image of the university, stated Prof Thyagaraja.
However, both the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar Santosh Kamagouda faced intense scrutiny. They struggled to provide coherent responses to Sujata Pol's direct allegations that she was driven to the extreme step due to months of caste-based discrimination and mental harassment. While they outright denied the charges, they offered no detailed explanation to counter her claims.
Contradictions and Evasive Answers
Prof Thyagaraja initially claimed the university never withheld her certificate. He asserted, She was eligible, but she missed receiving it because she did not pay the prescribed fee of Rs 3,000. This claim was immediately challenged by journalists present, who showed proof of her online payment made to a concerned staff member, contradicting the VC's statement.
Registrar Kamagouda addressed an earlier complaint by Sujata against her PhD guide. He stated that a show-cause notice was issued only after Sujata later wrote to the university seeking to withdraw her complaint. Kamagouda insisted this notice was merely a call for clarification and not a threat, despite it allegedly questioning whether her convocation certificate should be withheld.
Breach of Confidentiality and Tense Exchanges
The press conference grew notably tense when journalists questioned the university's serious ethical lapse. They demanded to know why the institution disclosed Sujata Pol's identity in connection with her sexual harassment allegations, a clear violation of standard confidentiality norms. The authorities failed to provide a satisfactory response and remained evasive on this and several other critical queries.
The decision to grant the certificate, framed as a humanitarian gesture, has done little to address the core allegations of systemic harassment. The incident has cast a long shadow over the university's administrative practices and its handling of grievances, particularly those related to caste-based discrimination.
