UGC has formed expert committee against caste discrimination in higher educational institutions, Union government tells Parliament

In the backdrop of the observations made by the Supreme Court previously, while hearing the petition by mothers of Rohit Vemula and Payal Tadvi, represented by senior advocate Indira Jaising, the minister of state informed the Parliament on Wednesday that the University Grants Commission has formed an expert committee to suggest appropriate steps and remedial measures in order to curb caste-based discrimination in higher educational institutions. 

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THE University Grants Commission (UGC) formed an expert committee on July 21 for revisiting its regulations and schemes for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and other marginalised community students.

This information was disclosed in the Parliament on Wednesday by the minister of state for education Dr Subhas Sarkar.

Sarkar was responding to a question about the steps taken to create a non-discriminatory environment in higher educational institutions across the country.

The expert committee has been tasked with suggesting remedial measures, if required, to create a more egalitarian space for SC, ST, Other Backward Class and disabled students in institutions of higher learning across India. The composition of the expert committee is not known as of now.

The formation of the expert committee came in the backdrop of the Supreme Court's observations last month calling the issue of caste discrimination prevalent in college and university campuses as "serious" and "sensitive".

The court had also added that the UGC had a responsibility to facilitate students belonging to SCs and STs to enter into the mainstream as they come from marginalised backgrounds and are unable to perform well or are at a higher risk of dropping out on that account.

The minister also informed the Parliament that specialised psychological counselling helplines, wellness centres, a buddy-support system and various other measures for students have been implemented in various campuses of the Indian Institute of Technology and other institutions for early detection of cases of psychological stress.

"The higher educational institutions undertake various steps such as conducting workshops and seminars on happiness and wellness, regular sessions on yoga and induction programmes," the minister informed the Parliament.

"Extracurricular activities, including sports and cultural activities, assigning one faculty adviser for a small group of students to support with their academics and monitor their progress, and appointment of student counsellors for overall personality development and de-stressing students" are also undertaken as per the minister.

The Parliament was also informed of the setting up of student, equal opportunity and grievance cells for SC and ST students as well as grievance committees, student social clubs for them. 

Liaison officers and liaison committees have also been designated for such students, the minister told the Parliament.

Petition by mothers of Rohit Vemula and Payal Tadvi

The Supreme Court is currently seized of a petition filed by the mothers of Rohit Vemula and Payal Tadvi, students who were forced to commit suicide because of caste discrimination on educational campuses.

The petition seeks strict compliance with the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012.

When the petition was called up for hearing on July 6, senior advocate Indira Jaising, for the petitioners, had stressed upon the urgency of the matter, contending that it needed to be heard on priority.

Jaising had also averred that the UGC should not take an adversarial stand on the matter. Jaising had submitted that the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012 have no binding force and lack any sanction of the law.

She had added that when the 2012 UGC regulations are compared to the regulations provided under other statutes such as the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 and the Prohibition of Ragging Act, 2011; the 2012 UGC regulations fall short.

After hearing Jaising, the court had told the UGC counsel that since the litigation is non-adversarial, rather than replying in the nature of objections, care must be taken to specify how the UGC was planning to address and rectify the concerns raised in the petition.

The UGC counsel had submitted that the response to the petition was ready to be filed. 

The UGC counsel had also submitted that he would take care of the concerns raised by the court.

The UGC has been writing to universities across the country to strictly follow the 2012 regulations, the UGC counsel had added.

The petition deplores the inadequacy of existing "equity regulations" notified by the UGC for the redress of caste-based discrimination on campuses.

Click here to read the reply of the Government.