Two Indian PhD scholars who accused the University of Colorado Boulder of systemic racism and discrimination have reached a settlement of $200,000, but returned to India without completing their doctoral studies.
The scholars, Aditya Prakash (34) from Bhopal and Urmi Bhattacheryya (35) from Kolkata, were enrolled in the university’s anthropology programme. They allege the discrimination began in September 2023 following an incident involving Indian food being labelled “pungent” in a shared departmental space.
‘Palak paneer called pungent’
According to legal documents, Prakash was heating palak paneer in a common microwave when a staff member reportedly remarked that the food smelled “pungent” and suggested keeping the office “smelling nice”. He was allegedly told that “sandwiches” were acceptable while “curry” was not.
Prakash later said the incident made him feel “othered and diminished”, adding that the comment suggested his culture was incompatible with shared spaces.
Alleged retaliation after complaint
Following the incident, Bhattacheryya discussed cultural relativism in her teaching assistant role and invited Prakash to share his experiences. Soon after, she was removed from her position.
Both scholars filed formal complaints after being contacted by the university’s Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance. They allege retaliation followed, including loss of advisers, funding, stipends and academic support, despite maintaining perfect academic records.
Settlement, but academic future closed
Under the September 2025 settlement, the university paid $200,000 but denied liability. The scholars withdrew their complaints, agreed not to study or work at the university again, and returned to India in October without their PhDs.
Responding to queries, the university stated it followed established processes and cannot comment further due to privacy laws.