JNU VC faces backlash for 'victim' remark, calls it 'woke'
JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit is facing major backlash after saying in a podcast that communities "You cannot progress by being permanently a victim or playing the victim card." and likening UGC's Equity (Anti-Discrimination) Regulations and measures addressing caste-based discrimination to "It is a temporary type of drug." and saying "This was done for the Blacks; the same thing was brought for Dalits here."
Her comments have triggered strong reactions and protests on campus.
Who is Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit
Pandit, JNU's first woman Vice-Chancellor since 2022, has a Ph.D. from JNU and experience teaching at Savitribai Phule Pune University, plus stints on UGC panels.
Responding to criticism, she clarified her remarks weren't aimed at any specific group but were meant as a critique of "woke ideology" and certain historical views.
What are the implications
The JNU Students's Union called her remarks "blatantly casteist," demanded her resignation, and announced nationwide protests.
The uproar has brought fresh attention to debates over equity rules, university governance, and the influence of politics on campus—issues that matter for anyone interested in how universities shape social change today.