‘Palak Paneer’ row ends in $200,000 (Rs 1.8 cr) settlement for Indian PhD students at US university
PTC Web Desk: Two Indian doctoral scholars at the University of Colorado Boulder have secured a civil rights settlement worth $200,000 (around Rs 1.8 crore) after alleging systemic discrimination over their choice of Indian food on campus, a case that has reignited debate on cultural bias faced by international students in Western universities.
The dispute dates back to September 5, 2023, when Aditya Prakash, then a PhD student in the university’s Anthropology Department, was reheating his lunch, palak paneer, in a shared microwave. According to Prakash, a female staff member objected to the “smell” of the food and asked him not to use the microwave, calling it “pungent”.
Prakash, now 34, said he pushed back, pointing out that the microwave was a common facility and that perceptions of food odour are deeply influenced by cultural conditioning. “My food is my pride. What smells good or bad is culturally determined,” he later said, arguing that Indian food was being singled out unfairly.
He also recalled being told that even foods like broccoli were discouraged due to strong smells, a comparison he rejected. “Context matters. How many people face racism because they eat broccoli?” he reportedly said during the exchange.
The issue soon escalated beyond the kitchen. Prakash’s partner, Urmi Bhattacheryya, who was also affiliated with the university, stepped in to support him. Both alleged that their resistance triggered retaliatory action from the department.
Prakash claimed he was repeatedly summoned to meetings with senior faculty and accused of making the staff member feel “unsafe”. Bhattacheryya, now 35, alleged she was removed from her teaching assistant role without any formal explanation after backing her partner.
The situation worsened when, according to the couple, the university declined to award them master’s degrees—typically granted to PhD candidates as part of their academic progression—despite them meeting the requirements.
“That was the turning point,” Prakash said, adding that the denial of degrees and the hostile academic environment left them with little option but to approach the courts.
In their lawsuit filed in the US District Court for Colorado, the two accused the university of fostering a discriminatory and hostile environment that disproportionately targeted them as international students. The complaint argued that the reaction to their cultural food habits reflected deeper systemic bias rather than an isolated misunderstanding.
In September 2025, the University of Colorado Boulder agreed to a settlement, paying the couple $200,000 and formally conferring their master’s degrees. However, as part of the resolution, both have been barred from future enrolment or employment at the university.
The case recently returned to public attention after Bhattacheryya shared a detailed post on Instagram, announcing their legal victory. In the post, she described the emotional and physical toll of the prolonged battle, while asserting her refusal to be silenced or shamed for her cultural identity.
“I fought a fight for the freedom to eat what I want and to protest at will, regardless of my skin colour, ethnicity, or Indian accent,” she wrote, adding that the experience tested her self-respect and health but ultimately strengthened her resolve.
- With inputs from agencies
