Indian Students Win $200,000 Settlement Over Cultural Food Dispute

Two Indian PhD students at the University of Colorado Boulder have successfully secured a civil rights settlement of $200,000 (approximately Rs 1.8 crore). This outcome follows allegations of systemic discrimination related to their cultural food practices on campus. The incident that triggered the legal action occurred on September 5, 2023, when Aditya Prakash, then a doctoral candidate in the Anthropology Department, faced objections while reheating his lunch, palak paneer, in a shared microwave.

Prakash, 34, recounted that a female staff member described the smell of his food as “pungent” and requested that he refrain from using the microwave for his meal. In response, he asserted his right to use the communal facility, emphasizing that perceptions of food odors are influenced by cultural context. “My food is my pride. And notions about what smells good or bad to someone are culturally determined,” Prakash stated.

The situation escalated when Urmi Bhattacheryya, Prakash’s partner, expressed her support for him. The couple alleges they faced discriminatory treatment as a result of their stand. Prakash reported being summoned to meetings with senior faculty members, where he was accused of making the staff member “feel unsafe.” Meanwhile, Bhattacheryya claimed she was removed from her teaching assistant position without any explanation for her support of Prakash.

The couple contended that the department also withheld their master’s degrees, which are typically granted to PhD candidates during their studies. “That’s when we decided to seek legal recourse,” Prakash explained. Their lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for Colorado, accused the university of fostering a hostile academic environment and argued that the institution’s response to their cultural food practices reflected deeper systemic bias against international students.

In September 2025, the University of Colorado Boulder agreed to settle the case, awarding Prakash and Bhattacheryya $200,000 and formally granting their master’s degrees. Despite this settlement, both students have been barred from future enrollment or employment at the university.

Following the resolution, Bhattacheryya took to Instagram to share her feelings about the legal victory. “This year, I fought a fight – a fight for the freedom to eat what I want and to protest at will… no matter the colour of my skin, my ethnic extraction or the unflinchingly unchanged Indian accent,” she wrote. Her post detailed the emotional toll the situation had taken, stating, “I endured startling health reversals I’d never encountered before. The steady chipping away at, and eroding of, a self-respect and confidence I’d always jealously safeguarded.”

The case highlights ongoing discussions about cultural acceptance and inclusivity within academic institutions. It also raises important questions about the treatment of international students and the need for policies addressing cultural diversity within campus environments. The resolution of Prakash and Bhattacheryya’s case marks a significant moment in the pursuit of equality and respect for diverse cultural practices in educational settings.