Rajesh Balkhande, a 52-year-old research scholar and Buddhist monk, has been staging a protest at the Kalina campus of Mumbai University since September 2022. He submitted an undertaking to the Bombay High Court on Thursday, agreeing to vacate the campus by Sunday evening. His protest has centered around demands for government funding for the Pali department, which he claims is operating without grants, leading to increased course fees. The university has stated that Balkhande, who was admitted in 2010, failed to complete his PhD within the required time frame and left the campus in 2018. After studying Buddhism in Myanmar, he returned in December 2023 and was given one year to complete his thesis. However, he continued to protest and make demands unrelated to his academics, leading to the cancellation of his admission in November 2025. Despite multiple warnings and the sealing of his hostel room, Balkhande persisted in his protests, prompting the university to seek police intervention. The court's decision to dispose of the matter followed his agreement to vacate the premises.