Drawing on four decades of academic experience, this powerful and meticulously researched book offers an unflinching examination of caste- based discrimination in recruitment, admissions, and everyday academic life within Indian universities. Written by a distinguished life scientist who has spent a lifetime navigating the complexities of higher education, it combines rigorous empirical analysis with compelling personal narratives. The author exposes the subtle yet systematic barriers that continue to shape opportunities, institutional cultures, and scholarly trajectories, often in ways that remain invisible to those outside the system. At once analytical and deeply humane, the book demonstrates how notions of merit, excellence, and fairness are compromised when social hierarchies permeate academic spaces. It also highlights the courage and resilience of those who persist despite structural odds. An essential and timely work, the book challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths and to rethink the future of equitable higher education in India.