India’s Lakshmi Balakrishnan has alleged Oxford University of ‘racial bias’ and ‘forcibly removing’ her from a PhD programme.

After spending an exorbitant ₹1 crore (£1,00,000), Oxford University forcibly removed Balakrishnan from the PhD program and moved her to a masters level course without her consent, she alleged.

‘Feel betrayed’

In her profile on a fundraising website, she said, “After I paid my tuition fees and joined Oxford, the University BREACHED THE CONTRACT of my offer letter by appointing a supervisor who does not have even a single publication on Shakespeare and who was also painfully negligent. Despite my pleas, the University refused to address this problem.”

During her fourth year, she had an assessment, in which two different assessors failed her, saying her ‘Shakespeare research did not have scope for PhD level’.

She further took to X saying, “To any reasonable person, the assessors failing me on the rationale of Shakespeare not having sufficient ‘scope’ for PhD would be evidence of bias (a valid ground for upholding appeal), especially considering that white students’ PhD theses on Shakespeare were approved.”

“I feel a sense of betrayal and I feel like I have been let down by an institution that I held in high regard,” she said.

Irregularity at Oxford University?

Balakrishnan sought supporting statements on her topic from professors and experts of various colleges who validated the point of this research.

“As these experts’ statements suggest, the decision of the assessors to fail my internal doctoral assessment did not proceed from a fair consideration of my work. The assessment process was marred by serious procedural irregularity and bias issues,” she added.

Who is Lakshmi Balakrishnan?

Balakrishnan hails Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Raised by a single parent after her mother passed away when she was young, Balkrishnan received an offer from Oxford in 2018 to pursue a PhD in Shakespeare in the English Faculty, according to her fundraiser page.

She has already two master’s degrees and spent nearly ₹1 crore to study and live in Oxford University.

Despite seeking help from the student support cell, Office of Independent Adjudicator (OIA) since 2021, they upheld the university’s position.