Abusive about Ambedkar, women: Why an assistant professor at DU’s School of Open Learning is under fire

SOL teachers have written to the Vice Chancellor strongly condemning content in study material; Prof Ravikiran, who joined in Feb 2024, has denied the accusations

4 min readNew DelhiMay 6, 2026 04:30 AM IST

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Engaging with texts such as ‘Against The Madness of Manu: B R Ambedkar’s Writings on Brahmanical Patriarchy’ was academically relevant to understanding Ambedkar’s critique, he has said, adding that excluding such references would “amount to misrepresenting Ambedkar’s scholarly method”.

Teachers and students of Delhi University’s School of Open Learning (SOL) have written to the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the university expressing “sincere concerns” over the ongoing controversy over alleged offensive content in SOL’s study material for Bachelor’s students of political science.

“We write to express our sincere concerns about the defamation of our institute,” the representation, sent to the VC last week, says. “We…strongly condemn and oppose any material which mentions abusive, oppressive and negative terms for women and Ambedkar.”

It adds, “We completely stand together united against any person who writes or expresses such thoughts.”

Disciplinary proceedings are currently underway against Saripalli V Ravikiran, an assistant professor at SOL, who is accused of including allegedly erroneous and offensive content in the study material.

Internal documents of SOL allege the Self-Learning Material (SLM) prepared by Ravikiran contains “numerous factual errors” and “derogatory terms” that portray women as “seductresses, cunning and dishonest”, and describes Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar as a “militant”.

The university has accused Ravikiran of “gross misconduct”, and has reiterated that the ancient Indian legal text Manusmriti, which the SLM allegedly quotes, will not be taught “in any form”.

Several elected members of the Executive Council, the highest executive body of the university chaired by VC Yogesh Singh, are learned to have demanded that Ravikiran’s tenure be terminated.

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On this subject, a senior official of the university administration told The Indian Express, “The process of decision-making on the action to be taken against this particular faculty member is still underway.”

Ravikiran joined SOL in February 2024 and was assigned the task of preparing the Hindi-language SLM for ‘Understanding Political Theory’, which is part of the Semester 1 curriculum for the BA (Hons) Political Science course.

Early criticisms of the material described certain sections about women as being “extremely offensive”. Internal reviews subsequently found that content that went beyond the syllabus had been included, including references to caste practices and the consumption of beef.

Ravikiran was also accused of plagiarism and of delaying the submission of the learning material to the university.

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An external review of the SLM for the discipline specific elective (DSE) course on ‘Understanding Ambedkar’ described the material as “biased”, overly reliant on references to the Manusmriti, and insufficiently attentive to Dr Ambedkar’s own writings.

In December 2025, the university instituted a formal inquiry, which concluded that Ravikiran had been “negligent and careless” about the material.

In his written defence submitted to the university, Ravikiran “categorically denied” that his conduct “constitute[d] ‘gross misconduct’ or ‘negligence’”, and argued that he had carried out his work “in good faith” and under “severe institutional constraints”.

The assistant professor submitted that he had been given fewer than 50 days to prepare the full course material, without “any orientation, prior institutional handover, collaborative team, or structured editorial support”.

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He said that the compressed timeline and “…the absence of formal review input constrained the opportunity for deeper revisions”.

Ravikiran has also disputed the accusation that the content was ideologically driven or deliberately provocative. The material on Ambedkar, he has said, was designed to engage students critically with primary texts and debates. “[It] was aimed not to provoke but to faithfully reflect the scope of Ambedkar’s analysis and to enhance the students’ critical faculties.”

Ravikiran has also said he was not given a meaningful opportunity to respond to the criticism: “I was denied access to the external reviewer’s report… Even in cases involving serious academic allegations…institutions follow a transparent, multi-stage process… In this matter, I was not provided with any such process.”

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He framed the alleged omissions and controversial references as systemic or editorial issues rather than his personal failing. “Academic production is by nature collaborative… Holding me solely accountable…disregards the principle of shared responsibility,” he said.

The Indian Express reached out to Payal Mago, Director of SOL, for a comment, but did not receive a comment.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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