Karnatak University Suspends Professor Over Harassment Allegations

Overview

• A female research scholar filed a complaint saying her botany guide pressured her to marry him and shared photographs, after which she discontinued her PhD and returned to Vijayapura.
• The university reassigned the scholar an alternate guide and removed the accused professor from a chairmanship while it set up an inquiry committee to examine the claims.
• The registrar has placed Prof. Devaraj Tangudorai on suspension pending the inquiry and ordered that he not leave Dharwad without permission.
• Students, including members of the ABVP, staged protests that pressed the administration to act, and the complainant reportedly submitted audio recordings and social-media material to the committee.
• The inquiry is ongoing and could lead to disciplinary or legal steps; the case highlights how supervisor–student power imbalances can affect scholars and may prompt tighter oversight of PhD supervision practices.