The Supreme Court of India has requested a response from the University Grants Commission (UGC) regarding the establishment of guidelines to create an inclusive environment for students belonging to Dalit and Adivasi communities in higher education institutions.
The court emphasized the importance of preventing incidents such as the tragic suicides of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi by addressing the concerns raised in the PIL filed by their mothers.
Rohith Vemula, a research scholar and leader of the Ambedkar Student Association at Hyderabad University, took his own life on January 17, 2016, due to caste-based discrimination and social boycott within the institution. Similarly, Dr. Payal Salim Tadvi, a tribal Muslim woman, died by suicide on May 22, 2019, following casteist and Islamophobic harassment by her senior colleagues at Topiwala National Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital.
During the proceedings, Justice AS Bopanna urged the UGC to provide concrete details on the steps it has taken and plans to take to address the grievances raised in the petition. Justice MM Sundresh also requested the UGC to specify the actions taken so far and those proposed for the future. The court stressed that the matter is non-adversarial and encouraged the UGC to engage in discussions with the petitioner's counsel to explore potential suggestions.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising, representing the petitioners, emphasized the urgency of the matter, highlighting that three more student suicides have occurred in the past year, including at a National Law School, a medical college, and an IIT. Jaising urged the UGC to formulate binding guidelines that would apply to all higher education institutes to ensure a non-discriminatory environment.
The Supreme Court underscored the need for comprehensive guidelines that go beyond mere recommendations and possess binding authority, similar to regulations such as the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) at Workplace Act and the anti-ragging law. The court expressed concern that the existing guidelines, like the equity regulations framed by the UGC in 2012, are inadequate and lack punitive measures for violations.
The bench directed the UGC to collaborate with the petitioners' counsel and file a reply within four weeks, outlining the steps taken and proposed to create a non-discriminatory environment on campuses. The petition seeks the enforcement of fundamental rights, including the right to equality and the prohibition of discrimination based on caste, in educational institutions. It calls for the strict enforcement of UGC equity regulations and the establishment of Equal Opportunity Cells and anti-discrimination complaint mechanisms.
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