UGC sets up expert panel to look into schemes for SC/ST students
An expert panel will scrutinize regulations and schemes for marginalized communities in higher education, following a Supreme Court order. The University Grants Commission has formed the panel to ensure a non-discriminatory environment for students from scheduled castes, tribes, other backward classes, persons with disabilities, and minority communities. The existing regulations already prohibit discrimination, and new guidelines have been issued to address student grievances and mental health.
Regulations and schemes for marginalised communities will be scrutinised by an expert panel of the higher education regulator, the education ministry informed Parliament after the Supreme Court in July asked for a status report on steps the University Grants Commission was taking to protect the interest of scheduled castes and tribes, other backward classes, persons with disabilities and minority communities.
The committee has been formed in pursuance of Supreme Court’s July 6 order, when it directed the commission to submit such a report, junior education minister Subhas Sarkar said on Wednesday in response to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha.
“In pursuance to this order, the UGC has constituted an expert committee on 21-07-2023 for revisiting the UGC Regulations/Schemes concerning the SC/ST/OBC/PwD and minority communities in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) and suggest further remedial measures if required to make non-discriminatory environment for SC/ST Students in HEIs,” the minister said in response to a question asked by DMK MP M Shanmugam.
Under the existing UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutes) Regulations, 2012, all higher educational institutions have to ensure no discrimination takes place against any student belonging to SC and ST communities in matters of admission. The institutions are also required to prohibit, prevent and punish persons and authorities in institutions who harass or victimize any student on the basis of caste, creed, religion, language, ethnicity, gender or disability.
In April, the regulator revised its 2019 regulations and issued UGC (Redressal of Grievances of Students) Regulations, 2023, which made it mandatory to include one member from a marginalized caste or tribe, and one woman, in student grievance redressal committees to be constituted by educational institutions to deal with student complaints.
The guidelines were notified at a time when a string of student suicides at premier educational institutions, especially at Indian Institutes of Technology, triggered a debate on the pressure and problems faced by pupils in these campuses. In particular, the death of an 18-year-old Dalit student at IIT Bombay in February created an outcry.
In his response, Sarkar said that the commission also issued advisories to address the issue of mental health and well-being during and after the pandemic, and in January, it had circulated the national suicide prevention strategy formulated by the health and family welfare ministry.
“Besides this, students’ specialized psychological counselling helplines, students’ wellness centres, buddy support systems and various other measures have been implemented in IITs and other Institutions, for early detection of cases of psychological stress,” the minister said.