Hyderabad University Student Group Demands Professor's Removal Over Offensive Emails

The Students' Federation of India unit at the University of Hyderabad is demanding the immediate job termination of history professor Vijaya Ramadas following allegations of casteist, classist, and racist remarks directed at a former student.

The Allegations

According to the SFI unit, email correspondence from April 16, 2026, shows the associate professor making derogatory comments about the student's background, including references to people from Bihar and Jharkhand as poverty-ridden. The purported emails also contained slurs concerning a Dalit background and described the states of Jharkhand and Bihar as backward. The student group stated that these remarks arose from a disagreement regarding revisions to a book chapter meant for a Bloomsbury publication. Furthermore, the professor allegedly threatened to prevent other academics across India from supporting the former student.

Official Complaints

The student organisation reported that it submitted formal complaints to university officials, including the Vice-Chancellor. The affected student has also reached out to the university administration and the Reservation and Coordination Cell.

Context

Campus bodies and student federations across Indian universities regularly handle grievances related to discrimination and academic disputes. When formal complaints involving caste or regional slurs are raised against faculty members, universities typically review administrative procedures and internal inquiry mechanisms to address the claims.