When Amit (name changed on request) was admitted to the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, he was elated.

"I was excited to learn at such an elite institute and the opportunities it would give me," he told DW.

With tough entrance exams and lucrative high-paying job offers for graduates, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) are among India's most prestigious schools.

The IITs are a network of 23 universities known for their excellence in research, science and technology studies. Their acceptance rate is infamously competitive, ranging between 0.5% and 2.5% across the network of institutes.

"What I was not prepared for was the ingrained casteism on campus. In my first year, I lost a lot of weight and constantly felt like I did not belong there. I decided to stick it out, but it hasn't been easy," Amit said.

"After coming to know that I am from the reserved category, my classmates started treating me differently," he added, referring to affirmative action policies enshrined in the Indian constitution to uplift communities that are historically part of the lowest rungs of the country's caste hierarchy.

Caste determines a person's social status in many South Asian societies, and those considered to be from "lower" castes face systemic discrimination.

"The upper-caste classmates had their own cliques, and I felt excluded and isolated. People made passing comments on how there were more deserving candidates, and I only got admission due to my........

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