Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Hindu
The Hindu
National
The Hindu Bureau

Supreme Court asks UGC what action taken against caste discrimination in campuses

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) to detail the affirmative action taken to rid campuses of caste discrimination.

A Bench led by Justice A.S. Bopanna referred to the tragedy of the petitioners, who are the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, saying the authorities should take up the issue in a sensitive manner and ensure that no parent faces such a loss in the future.

Justice M.M. Sundresh suggested that the UGC ought to adopt a consultative approach and consult the petitioners while chalking out its course of action.

Justice Sundresh asked about the UGC’s plans to bring students belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities into the mainstream. He pointed out that the challenges faced by these children were manifold.

Also Read | Revisiting two cases of medico deaths

The petitioners have urged the court to direct the Commission to strictly ensure enforcement of and compliance with the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012.

They submitted that higher educational institutions and universities, including deemed ones, should establish ‘equal opportunity cells’ to receive and respond to complaints from students.

“Universities and institutions should upload on their websites all measures for elimination of caste-based discrimination,” the petition said.

The petitioners have asked the court to direct the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) “to cater to diversity and affirmative action policy as a separate criterion and thus incentivise universities to develop a congenial atmosphere that promotes diversity”.

The petition said a report by a committee under the chairmanship of Professor Sukhdeo Thorat had found “rampant prevalence of caste-based discrimination on the campus”.

Rohith Vemula, a Ph.D. scholar at the University of Hyderabad, and Dr. Payal Tadvi, a second-year resident doctor at Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai, died by suicide allegedly over caste-based discrimination. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.