The Supreme Court, today, Thursday, July 6, said that discrimination in educational institutions is a "very serious issue” and urged the University Grants Commission (UGC) to create a "mainstreaming environment" for students belonging to SC/ST communities in institutions of higher education.
As per a report by LiveLaw.in, the apex court has sought the UGCs’ response in a PIL filed by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi. The matter was before a division bench of Justice AS Bopanna and Justice MM Sundresh.
The petitioners were represented by Senior Advocate Indira Jaisingh and Advocate Disha Wadekar.
Emphasising the urgency of their case, Advocate Jaisingh pointed out that the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre with regards to the case as far as September 2019, but there has been no action so far.
The senior advocate further referred to the cases of Darshan Solanki from IIT Bombay, Surbhi from National Law University, Odisha and Dr Preethi Dharawath in Kakatiya Medical College in Telangana — three students from SC/ST communities who died by suicide this year.
She also observed how the UGC Equity Guidelines of 2012 are falling short of preventing the occurrence of such cases. Comparing them with the likes of POSH guidelines, Vishaka guidelines, and Saksham guidelines for the prevention of sexual harassment, and anti-ragging guidelines, the senior advocate remarked about how the equity guidelines fall short of the protections it offers against caste discrimination, and is not implemented across higher institutions.
Further, the advocate also pointed to the lack of strict consequences for colleges for not implementing the UGC Equity Guidelines.
"It would be in the fitness of things if the UGC in a non-adversarial manner could be persuaded to frame binding guidelines which will bind all institutes of higher education," LiveLaw.in reports the senior advocate saying.
Justice Bopanna asked UGC how it is planning to address and rectify the concerns raised in the petition. Justice Sundaresh also asked the UGC to specify whatever steps have been taken by the body so far and what is proposed to be done.
"Tell the UGC this is a sensitive matter and you have to take some action. Since it is not adversarial you can also discuss with the petitioner’s counsel for suggestions," LiveLaw.in quoted Justice Bopanna saying.
Background
Rohit Vemula, a PhD scholar at Hyderabad Central University (HCU), died by suicide on January 17, 2016, while Payal Tadvi, an Adivasi student at TN Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai, took her own life on May 22, 2019.
Both of these incidents have been attributed to alleged case-based discrimination in educational institutions.
“Ultimately it is in the interest of the students and the parents whose children have lost their lives. In the future, at least some care should be taken so that this doesn’t happen,” Justice Bopanna told UGC.
The matter has been posted after 4 weeks. According to Disha Wadekar, the SC in the meanwhile directed responses from the UGC, the Ministry of Education, and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
