Palak paneer dispute triggers Rs 1.8 crore settlement for Indian students in the US

Indian PhD couple at Univ of Colorado Boulder alleged bias after palak paneer microwave row; Sep 2025 deal: $200k each master’s degree

Two Indian PhD scholars at the University of Colorado Boulder have reached a settlement worth about Rs 1.8 crore after alleging they faced discrimination linked to their Indian food and culture, an episode that began with a palak paneer meal warmed in a department microwave.

​The dispute dates to September 5, 2023, when Aditya Prakash, then 34 and enrolled in a PhD programme in the university’s Anthropology Department, heated his lunch in a shared space. A female staff member objected to the food’s smell and instructed him not to use the microwave for such meals, turning an everyday moment into a confrontation over access and belonging on campus.

​According to the complaint later filed in court, the incident escalated after Prakash challenged the restriction and argued that perceptions of what is acceptable to eat in common spaces can reflect cultural bias. His partner, Urmi Bhattacheria, now 35, supported him during the fallout that followed, and both alleged that the department’s response shifted from a kitchen disagreement into punitive scrutiny of their conduct and status.

​Prakash said he was repeatedly called into meetings with senior faculty members after staff alleged that his actions made them feel unsafe. Bhattacheria alleged she was removed from her teaching assistant position without a clear explanation, which the couple linked to her support for Prakash and their refusal to back down from raising concerns about discrimination.

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​Their allegations extended beyond employment and departmental relations. The couple claimed the university withheld the master’s degrees they had earned as part of the typical progression within their PhD track, which they said undermined their academic advancement and placed additional pressure on them as international students. They approached the legal system after these academic outcomes did not materialise.

​In a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court in Colorado, the pair argued they were subjected to a hostile environment and that the university’s handling of the food-related dispute reflected systemic bias against international students. In September 2025, the University of Colorado Boulder agreed to pay Prakash and Bhattacheria $200,000 each and to award them the master’s degrees, bringing the case to a close. As part of the settlement terms, they were barred from future enrolment or employment at the university, and both later returned to India, indicating they did not plan to continue their studies or work in the United States.

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