Rohith Vemula Bill proposes to cut govt. aid to institutions for violating rules

The Karnataka government has proposed to introduce the Karnataka Rohith Vemula (Prevention of Exclusion or Injustice) (Right to Education and Dignity) Bill, 2025, in the monsoon session of the legislature to safeguard the right to education and dignity of the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), other backward classes (OBC), and minorities.

The Bill, the draft of which was discussed in the State Cabinet meeting earlier this week, aims to provide equal access and right to education to SC, ST, OBCs, and minorities in all universities under the purview of the Department of Higher Education in the State.

For any violation of the law, the person in charge of the affairs of the institution is liable to imprisonment for one year and a fine of ₹10,000. Significantly, the State government would not provide any financial aid or grant to the institutions violating the provisions of this Act. Every offence committed under the proposed Act would be cognisable and non-bailable.

Nudge from Rahul

Recently, following a letter from the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured him that his government would enact the law to eliminate caste- and identity-based discrimination in educational institutions.

The court would also grant appropriate compensation payable by the accused to the victim of discrimination, which would extend to a maximum of ₹1 lakh, in addition to the fine.

For the repeated offence, the person would be punished with an imprisonment for a term of three years and a fine of ₹1 lakh.

On hate speech

A draft of the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2025, also discussed in the Cabinet, envisages effective prevention and control of hate speech and hate crimes, their negative effects on individuals, groups, and society.

A person who commits a hate crime would be punished with three years of imprisonment and a fine of ₹5,000 or both as per the draft law. An offence of hate crime would be non-cognisable and non-bailable, and would be triable by a magistrate of the first class, the draft Bill states.

Fake news (prohibition) Bill

The Karnataka Misinformation and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill, 2025, proposes a clampdown on misinformation. As per the draft Bill, social media users found guilty of posting fake news would face up to seven years of imprisonment and a maximum fine of ₹10 lakh.

The draft, which has been in the making ever since the Congress came to power two years ago, was placed before the Cabinet earlier this week.

The draft law defines misinformation as “knowingly or recklessly making a false or inaccurate statement of fact, whether wholly or in part, in the context in which it appears excluding opinions, religious or philosophical sermons, satire, comedy or parody or any other form of artistic expression if a reasonable man of ordinary prudence does not pursue such communications as statements of fact”.

A six-member Fake News on Social Media Regulatory Authority, headed by the Minister for Kannada and Culture, will be constituted, said the draft.

Special courts

Special courts would be set up for faster trials of offences, which will be cognisable and non-bailable. The law provides for the appointment of at least one special public prosecutor for every special court and one in each Bench of the High Court.

The proposed law seeks to prohibit abusive and obscene content, including anti-feminism. It also wants to prohibit the publication of content “amounting to disrespect of Sanatan symbols and beliefs” on social media.