Bengaluru: The Bengaluru University has issued a detailed clarification rejecting allegations made by a few Dalit professors who had resigned claiming discrimination and anti-Dalit policies in the institution.

In an official letter to the Association of SC/ST Teachers, the university stated that there is no truth to claims of anti-Dalit bias. Instead, it stressed that teachers from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been given significant representation in various posts.

The university clarified that appointments to statutory teaching positions are made directly by the government. The Vice-Chancellor or Registrar has no role in these appointments, yet allegations of discrimination are unfortunate,” the letter said.

Of the 30 administrative posts like Directors, Coordinators, Special Officers and Nodal Officers, 22 are held by SC/ST teachers. For positions where the university has authority to appoint, preference has been given to eligible SC/ST candidates, the clarification said.

It also highlighted that out of the total 126 faculty currently working at Bengaluru University, 80 belong to SC/ST categories, making up nearly 63.5% of the teaching strength.

The university further pointed out that while no other state university has fully filled backlog vacancies identified by the Social Welfare Department, Bengaluru University has filled 35 of the 55 identified posts and steps are underway to fill the remaining.

Additionally, for the year 2024-25, 44 faculty members have been promoted as senior professors, out of which 29 are from SC/ST communities.

Finally, the university noted that to maintain teaching quality and address staff shortages, four faculty members were transferred with the Governor’s approval — dismissing claims of discrimination.

The administration concluded that allegations of anti-Dalit policies are baseless and not supported by facts.