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Dalit PhD Aspirant’s Protest at BHU Enters 14th Day Amid Allegations of Discrimination

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Dalit student Shivam Sonkar

Shivam Sonkar, a Dalit student seeking admission to the PhD program at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), continued his sit-in protest outside the Vice Chancellor’s residence for the 14th consecutive day on Thursday.

The protest began after Shivam’s application for the research program was rejected due to limited seats in the non-Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) category. The category, offering only three spots, had no reserved seat for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.

Despite ranking second in the non-JRF category, Shivam’s hopes were dashed as all three available seats were allotted to general and OBC candidates.

https://x.com/shubham__jnu_/status/1904423799904465381?s=19

On Thursday, BHU Rector Professor Sanjay Kumar, currently serving as the Officiating Vice Chancellor, invited Shivam to his office, promising to review his admission case.

However, Shivam, expressing skepticism, vowed to continue his protest until his enrollment was officially confirmed.

“I applied for the non-JRF seats and ranked second. However, with no reserved seat for SC candidates, all three spots were allocated to general and OBC candidates,” Shivam said.

Shivam also pointed out the vacancies in the JRF category, noting that three of the four JRF seats remain unfilled.

“I urged the administration to admit me under the JRF category, but they rejected my plea,” he said.

The results of the Research Entrance Test (RET) were announced on March 20, and Shivam has been protesting since March 21.

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