Dalit PhD candidate ends hunger strike before MG University

KOTTAYAM: A PhD candidate, who has been on a hunger strike at the Mahatma Gandhi university here for over a week, on Monday ended her protest after a meeting with varsity officials and said all her demands were met.

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Deepa P Mohanan, a Dalit PhD candidate at the University, has been observing the protest since October 29, alleging that her doctoral studies have been delayed due to caste discrimination by certain officials of the varsity.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, she claimed that Nandakumar, former director of the International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IIUCNN), who allegedly made some castiest remarks against her, has been ousted from the institute.

The 36-year-old student has been demanding access to resources needed to complete her PhD, a change in her research guide, and the removal of Nandakumar. She claimed that for the last ten years, her studies were affected due to the actions of the director of the institute, allegedly because she is a Dalit.

"All demands were met by the officials. Nandakumar has been ousted. Time for the research has been extended till 2024 and the varsity officials have extended all support to complete my research," said. She also claimed Nandakumar has been shifted to the Physics department.

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According to some reports, Nandakumar has decided to approach the court against his removal from the centre. The University had on Saturday removed Director Nandakumar from its Nanotechnology centre after he allegedly made some casteist remarks against the PhD candidate.