By Trendsetter Tribune 
An Indian doctoral couple has reached a $200,000 settlement with the University of Colorado Boulder after a civil rights lawsuit stemming from a dispute over reheating Indian food on campus.
Aditya Prakash and his fiancée, Urmi Bhattacheryya, said the conflict began in 2023 when Prakash reheated palak paneer in a shared microwave and was told the food was “pungent” and allegedly not allowed. The couple claimed the incident escalated into discrimination and retaliation that ultimately cost them their PhD funding and academic futures.
After challenging what they viewed as a double standard—arguing that other foods were permitted while Indian dishes were singled out—the department circulated an email discouraging food with “strong or lingering smells.” The couple says their relationship with the department quickly deteriorated, alleging they were dropped by supervisors, reassigned outside their fields, removed from teaching roles, and portrayed as academically deficient despite strong records.
The university agreed to the settlement in September 2025 while denying wrongdoing. As part of the agreement, both students received master’s degrees but are permanently barred from studying or working at the university.
Now living in India, the couple says the lawsuit was about accountability, not money. “It was about making a point,” Prakash said, arguing that discrimination tied to culture and identity has real consequences—even in academic spaces that claim to value diversity.