Caste divisions are a problem at UK universities, say students and academics, as institutions in the US take steps to tackle caste-based discrimination.
In South Asian countries, members of lower caste communities, such as Dalits, have historically faced discrimination and exclusion. As emigration out of this region continues, these divisions and the resulting prejudices persist abroad.
Following concerns about discrimination among international student populations, some US institutions have begun to introduce protections for lower-caste students. In December 2022, Brown University added a clause to its nondiscrimination policy explicitly prohibiting caste oppression. Now, California State University and Harvard University have both followed suit.
At the time, Sylvia Carey-Butler, Brown’s vice president for institutional equity and diversity, said as the South Asian population in the US increases, caste discrimination is a growing issue on college and university campuses across the country.
