Allahabad High Court Orders Probe Into RPNLU Caste Discrimination

The Allahabad High Court ordered an independent inquiry into allegations of caste-based humiliation and discrimination at Dr. Rajendra Prasad National Law University (RPNLU) in Prayagraj. The case was initiated by a PhD research scholar and a fifth-semester B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) student who accused Dr. Deepak Sharma, the Head of the Department of Law and Warden of the Boys' Hostel, of using his authority for retaliation and making insulting remarks regarding caste and reservations.

Justice Vinod Diwakar directed Judge Archana Singh-I and Special Chief Judicial Magistrate Arun Kumar Yadava to conduct the probe into the discrimination complaints. One student specifically alleged that his Constitutional Law-I answer sheets were evaluated strictly due to his caste despite high performance. In response, the court ordered the university Vice-Chancellor to form an independent committee to re-evaluate the students' answer sheets using a masked process to ensure impartiality.

Dr. Sharma has been relieved of all administrative responsibilities pending the inquiry and is barred from evaluating the petitioners' work or managing their disciplinary and hostel matters. Additionally, the court required the university to disclose whether it has established an Equal Opportunity Cell as mandated by University Grants Commission of India regulations.