Indian PhD Students Win Major Settlement in US Food Discrimination Case
Two Indian PhD students at the University of Colorado Boulder have won a significant civil rights settlement worth $200,000. The case centered around allegations of discrimination they faced for simply heating Indian food on campus. For Aditya Prakash and Urmi Bhattacheryya, this legal victory represents more than financial compensation. They say it was fundamentally about preserving their dignity and challenging cultural bias.
The Incident That Sparked the Lawsuit
The controversy began in 2023 when Aditya Prakash, then a PhD scholar in anthropology, was reheating his lunch in a shared microwave. His meal that day was palak paneer, a popular Indian dish. According to reports, a female staff member approached him and complained about what she called a pungent smell. She then instructed him not to use the facility for heating his food.
Prakash responded calmly but firmly. He told the staff member, It's just food. I'm heating and leaving. The situation escalated when his partner, Urmi Bhattacheryya, who is also a PhD scholar, supported his stance. The couple alleges that after this exchange, they faced retaliation from university authorities.
Alleged Retaliation and Academic Consequences
Prakash and Bhattacheryya claim they were subjected to repeated meetings with senior faculty members. During these meetings, Prakash was accused of making the staff member feel unsafe simply by heating his food. Bhattacheryya says she was subsequently removed from her teaching assistant role without any proper explanation.
The university also withheld the master's degrees that PhD students typically receive during their doctoral studies. This academic penalty, according to the couple, left them with no choice but to pursue legal action. They felt their academic careers were being unfairly jeopardized over a minor incident involving food.
Legal Battle and Settlement Details
In their lawsuit filed in a US district court, the Indian students made serious allegations. They claimed the University of Colorado Boulder fostered a hostile academic environment for international students. The response to their food, they argued, reflected deeper systemic bias against students from different cultural backgrounds.
The university reached a settlement with the students in September 2025. As part of the agreement, Prakash and Bhattacheryya received $200,000, which amounts to approximately ₹1.8 crore. The university also agreed to award them their master's degrees. However, the settlement came with a significant condition. It permanently bars both students from future enrollment or employment at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Background of the Students and Impact of the Incident
Aditya Prakash hails from Bhopal, while Urmi Bhattacheryya, 35, is originally from Kolkata. The couple first met in Delhi before pursuing their PhD studies in the United States. Bhattacheryya initially enrolled in sociology at the University of Southern California before transferring to the University of Colorado Boulder.
According to the couple, their first year at the university passed without any problems. Prakash received research grants and funding for his work. Bhattacheryya's research on marital rape was well received by academic circles. Then came the food-heating incident. Prakash told reporters that everything changed overnight after that episode.
The couple has since returned to India, arriving in January this year. Their case has drawn attention to the challenges international students sometimes face in foreign educational institutions. It highlights how cultural differences, even in something as basic as food, can lead to significant conflicts and legal battles.
This settlement serves as a reminder that educational institutions must create inclusive environments for all students, regardless of their cultural or national background. The substantial financial award also demonstrates that discrimination claims can have serious consequences for universities.
