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Viral Allegation Sparks Controversy
PUNE – A prominent engineering college in Pune is embroiled in a serious controversy after a former student alleged that a deliberate delay in his degree verification, which he attributes to caste bias, cost him a coveted job at a leading IT firm. The college administration has vehemently denied the accusations, attributing the delay to “procedural backlogs” and calling the claims of discrimination “baseless and unfortunate.”
The issue gained widespread attention when Rohan Jadhav, a recent Computer Science graduate, posted a detailed account of his ordeal on social media. According to Jadhav, he had successfully passed all interview rounds and received a provisional offer from a multinational tech company. The final step was a routine background check, including the verification of his academic credentials.
“For weeks, my dream job was on hold because of a single document,” Jadhav wrote in his viral post. “I followed up with the college administration almost daily. While I saw verifications for my peers being processed, mine was stuck… It was only when I mentioned my full name and background in a heated follow-up that the attitude became colder.”
College Responds, Cites Administrative Overload
In response to the mounting public pressure, the college issued a formal rebuttal. The college Registrar, Dr. Sunita Desai, strongly refuted the allegations of caste bias in a press statement.
“We categorically deny any and all claims of discrimination. Our institution prides itself on its diversity and inclusivity,” the statement read. “The post-graduation period sees an unprecedented volume of verification requests… The delay in this specific case, while regrettable, was purely a result of a seasonal administrative overload and not targeted at any individual.”
Dr. Desai added that the college maintains a transparent, first-come-first-served process for all administrative tasks and that their records are “caste-blind.” She confirmed that the college is conducting an internal review to streamline the verification process and prevent such incidents in the future.
A Wider Debate on Systemic Hurdles
Jadhav’s story has struck a chord online, prompting the hashtag #VerifyMyFuture to trend. Many students and alumni from various institutions have shared similar experiences of facing unexplained administrative hurdles that disproportionately affect individuals from marginalized backgrounds. Student bodies are now calling for a transparent, time-bound mechanism for academic verifications to prevent such career-altering delays.
This incident highlights the sensitive issue of systemic bias manifesting as administrative apathy. While Jadhav alleges the delay in his degree verification was intentional, proving such claims is often difficult. For now, the case remains one individual’s word against an institution’s official stance, leaving a promising graduate’s future in the balance.
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