118% rise in caste-based bias in varsities since 2019: UGC data
Caste-based discrimination complaints in Indian universities rose 118.4% in five years, with a 90% resolution rate, despite concerns over complaint handling.
NEW DELHI: Complaints of caste-based discrimination in universities and colleges have risen by 118.4% over the past five years, from 173 in 2019–20 to 378 in 2023–24, and the resolution rate is at around 90%, according to data submitted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to a parliamentary panel and the Supreme Court in 2025.
A candle light protest march in Delhi following the death of Rohith Vemula (HT File Photo)
Between 2019–20 and 2023–24, UGC received 1,160 complaints of caste discrimination reported by Equal Opportunity Cells (EOCs) and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) Cells of 704
Sanjay Maurya is a Principal Correspondent with Hindustan Times, where he covers education, with a focus on school and higher education, competitive examinations, education policy and governance. Working as part of the National Bureau, he is based in New Delhi and reports on the Ministry of Education and covers various statutory bodies like UGC, AICTE and NCTE and autonomous bodies like CBSE and NCERT. His reporting also tracks the implementation of key government reforms and policies from school education to higher education including in IITs, NITs, IIMs, central and state universities, and their impact on students and educational institutions. His reporting on the irregularities and rushed implementation of CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for evaluation of Class 12 board exams 2026, triggered administrative action, leading to the transfer of the board's two senior-most officials and the constitution of a committee to probe alleged irregularities in procurement process of the system. He joined Hindustan Times in December 2024. Prior to that, he had a three-year stint at Careers360, where he reported on school and higher education, entrance examinations, admissions, rankings and various education policies involving universities and professional education bodies. Over the years, Maurya has reported extensively on major developments in India's education sector, including the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) following the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, changes in school education, higher education regulation, and the evolution of entrance examinations such as NEET, JEE and CUET. He regularly produces data-driven and explanatory stories based on government documents, parliamentary proceedings, court records and official data. His focus remains on helping readers understand how education policies and institutional decisions affect millions of students, teachers and educational institutions across the country.
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