AIOBCSA urges for inclusion of OBCs in Rohith Vemula Act

All India OBC Students’ Association (AIOBCSA) has urged the State government to include Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the proposed Karnataka Rohith Vemula (Protection of SC/STs from Caste Discrimination in Higher Educational Institutions) Bill-2025.

“Discrimination and exclusion in educational institutions affect many marginalised students, including those from OBC backgrounds,” it stated.

In his letter to Chief Minister Siddarmaiah, G. Kiran Kumar, national president for AIBOCSA, said, “The Bill, inspired by the tragic institutional discrimination faced by Rohith Vemula, is a significant and progressive step toward addressing discrimination, exclusion, and harassment in educational institutions. Its objective to create safe, inclusive, and just academic spaces is deeply commendable.”

However, it is important to recognise that students from the OBC communities also experience various forms of discrimination, social exclusion, and institutional barriers in universities and higher educational institutions, he added.

“Karnataka has a well-established classification of backward classes such as Category I, Category II-A, Category II-B, Category III-A, and Category III-B, covering numerous socially and educationally backward communities. Students from these sections form a significant portion of the student population in universities and colleges across the State. Ensuring their protection within the framework of the Bill would strengthen its commitment to social justice and equality,” he said.

Further, Mr. Kumar urged the Chief Minister to provide institutional safeguards against discrimination and exclusion faced by the OBC students. “Strengthen Karnataka’s long-standing legacy of social justice and inclusive governance. Ensure that the legislation addresses the concerns of all socially and educationally marginalised communities in higher education and uphold the constitutional vision of equality and dignity for every student,” he requested.

After the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a Dalit PhD scholar at Hyderabad Central University, on January 17, 2016, allegedly due to caste-based discrimination, there was a clamour for the implementation of the Rohith Vemula Act.

A draft of the Bill prepared by the Law, Justice and Human Rights Department, proposed to safeguard the right to education and dignity of SC, ST, OBC, and minorities, last year. However, this has been opposed by Dalit groups vehemently.