The Karnataka cabinet has approved the draft of the Rohith Vemula Bill, formally titled the Prevention of Discrimination, Exclusion or Injustice Bill, aimed at addressing caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions across the state, the News Minute reported.
The decision was taken on Thursday, marking a key step toward introducing a legal framework focused on protecting students from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The proposed law is designed as a reform-oriented civil legislation that seeks to prevent caste discrimination, exclusion, and harassment within universities and colleges.
According to the report, it applies to public, private and deemed universities in Karnataka, with the objective of ensuring equal access to education for SC and ST students. One of the central features of the bill is the provision for strict penalties, including a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh for individuals found guilty of caste-based harassment or discrimination.
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A major structural reform proposed in the bill is the mandatory establishment of equity committees in every higher education institution. These committees will be responsible for addressing complaints related to caste discrimination and harassment. Each committee will be chaired by a member belonging to SC or ST communities, holding a position not below the rank of assistant professor.
The panel will include six additional members, among whom at least two must be student representatives from SC or ST communities. The Bill also specifies that at least 80% of the committee members must belong to SC or ST groups.
The Cabinet's approval of the draft follows months of uncertainty regarding the future of the legislation. With this step, the Bill is now prepared to be introduced in the state legislature.
Citing Karnataka's IT-BT and Panchayats Minister Priyank Kharge, the report added that the government is also considering bringing the law into effect through an ordinance to ensure timely implementation before the reopening of colleges.
He stated, "the next legislature session may happen around mid or late June, but colleges begin earlier. We do not want the implementation to be delayed until the next academic year."
The development comes after discussions between the Karnataka government and civil society groups advocating for the Rohith Act. The first formal meeting took place in December 2025 during the Belagavi assembly session, where the draft prepared by the campaign group was largely accepted by the government.
At that stage, there was an expectation that the Bill would be introduced during the Belagavi session due to the urgency of the discussions led by Law Minister HK Patil. However, the process faced delays after opposition emerged at the national level from right-wing groups against the University Grants Commission (UGC) equity guidelines, which were later stayed by the Supreme Court.
Following this, members of the civil society drafting team engaged in multiple rounds of discussions with the government to clarify how the Rohith Act differs from the UGC guidelines and to emphasise its stronger legal foundation.
According to the report, the campaign behind the legislation, the proposed law in Karnataka is rooted in the principles of the SC/ST Atrocities Act. It is intended to function as a less stringent mechanism to address caste-based issues that do not fall under the category of severe crimes.
In comparison, the UGC equity guidelines, which draw from the 2012 framework developed under then UGC chairperson Sukhdeo Thorat, are broader in scope, although they also specifically address caste discrimination, the report added.
With the Cabinet now approving the draft, the Bill moves to the governor for assent.
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