Vipin Vijayan, a research scholar at the University of Kerala, has accused Prof. C.N. Vijayakumari, the Head of the Department of Sanskrit, of caste-based discrimination that has negatively impacted his academic career. In his complaint to the Thiruvananthapuram City Police, Vijayan alleges that the professor made casteist remarks, stating that individuals from backward castes should not study Sanskrit and that the department's integrity was compromised by admitting lower caste students. Despite having supervised Vijayan's MPhil dissertation and certifying his proficiency in Sanskrit, Prof. Vijayakumari reportedly declared him unqualified for PhD candidacy during his open defense. This prompted Vijayan to seek action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Higher Education Minister, R. Bindu, has condemned the remarks and promised a comprehensive inquiry, asserting that no student should face discrimination in their educational pursuits.