The academic claims seniority bypassed in appointment; varsity yet to respond officially
Team Clarion
BANARAS — Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is facing fresh allegations of caste discrimination after Dr Mahesh Prasad Ahirwar, a Dalit professor in the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, accused the institution of denying him the post of head of department (HoD) despite being the senior-most faculty member.
On March 31, Vice-Chancellor Sudhir Kumar Jain appointed Dr Sushma Ghildiyal, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, as HoD instead—a move Ahirwar calls a “grim form of caste discrimination.”
Ahirwar, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, said the HoD position is traditionally assigned via rotation based on seniority. “My seniority is already decided, yet I was sidelined. This is against the rules,” he told reporters.
The university has not issued an official response, but a senior official, speaking anonymously, said a meeting would be held to “review seniority.” Ahirwar dismissed this as a delaying tactic, warning, “If the university doesn’t act, I will take legal action.”
The controversy follows another protest by Shivam Sonkar, a PhD aspirant who staged a sit-in outside the VC’s residence last week. Sonkar, who secured second rank in the general category entrance exam, alleges he was denied admission unfairly.
This isn’t the first time BHU has faced such accusations. Dr Shobhana Narlikar, the first Dalit woman to head BHU’s journalism department, previously alleged her promotion was blocked for years.
“Interviews for my promotion were cancelled last-minute repeatedly,” Narlikar said. “Juniors with fewer qualifications were promoted, while I was ignored.” She was only appointed HoD after a weeks-long protest forced the administration’s hand.
Activists say the pattern highlights systemic bias in India’s premier institutions. “When Dalit scholars excel, barriers appear. BHU must answer for this,” said Ramesh Chand, a Dalit rights advocate.
BHU’s administration has yet to issue a formal statement. Meanwhile, Ahirwar’s case has reignited demands for transparency in appointments and stronger safeguards against caste discrimination in academia.
