In response to a question about caste-based discrimination in educational institutions, Acharya Prashant states that such protection should be offered to all students everywhere. He describes IITs as very liberal places and believes the environment has not deteriorated over the last 20-25 years. He acknowledges that while caste identity is present and people know each other's caste, especially those who are beneficiaries of reservations, there is an overall environment of equality and friendliness. He recalls from his own experience that even though they knew their friends' castes, including those from underprivileged classes, it was relegated to the background and stopped mattering. He illustrates this with examples of sharing rooms, dining together, and a friend from a reserved category whose room was a popular spot for snacks, indicating a genuine level of friendliness. Acharya Prashant clarifies that while the environment at IIT Delhi in the mid-90s was not perfect, and there was a consciousness that students from reserved categories were different and often had it tougher academically, he does not recall any incident of someone being viciously targeted for their caste. He notes that the culture was open, allowing students to ask for help without inhibition. He suggests that heinous caste discrimination is more prevalent in smaller towns and villages, and that is where society and the government should focus. The conversation then shifts to the concept of Karma. Acharya Prashant refutes the idea of a 'karma that you are supposed to do,' calling it conditioning and anti-freedom, similar to the Varna system. He asserts that one's only destiny is liberation. He explains that Karma is action, and its quality is determined by the freedom of the 'Karta' (the doer). Therefore, the focus should not be on the Karma (action) but on the Karta (the doer), which is the ego that must be healed. This healing begins by looking at the disease—observing one's thoughts, feelings, and reactions. Detachment, he explains, is not something to be worked for but is the effortless result of honestly observing one's attachments. The real effort lies in challenging these attachments. When one sees the futility of attachments, detachment naturally follows.