Create 'Strong And Robust' Mechanism: Supreme Court On UGC Caste Discrimination Draft
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, hearing the PIL assailing caste discrimination in higher educational institutions (HEIs), said it was looking to create a ‘very strong and robust mechanism’ for ‘really’ tackling the unfortunate issues. The bench adjourned the matter to May 2025 upon being informed about the draft regulations by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
The SG told the court that draft regulations to strengthen the regime had been prepared and informed the court about publishing and displaying the draft on the UGC’s website for suggestions. As such, the Court recorded in its order that “the petitioners, intervenor(s), or any other person(s) may submit their suggestions to the UGC, which shall be duly considered.”
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Earlier, the Supreme Court had called on UGC to collate and furnish data from universities to set up equal opportunity cells and a total number of complaints received under the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012, along with the action taken reports. Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, representing petitioners, highlighted that 40% of the universities and 80% of the colleges had not responded.
On the fact of many IITs and some national law universities not responding to UGC, the judge said, “once probably UGC’s hands are strengthened with power to cancel the affiliation… we think that will be power that can be used in the right direction”.
Justice Kant said the issue of suicides in HEIs as ‘extremely unfortunate’ and need to create a verty strong and robust mechanism to tackle the issue.
The present PIL was filed by Radhika Vemula and Adeba Salim Tadvi, mothers of the two Rohit Vemula and Payal Tadvi, in 2019. Rohit Vemula, a PhD scholar at Hyderabad Central University, died by suicide on January 17, 2016, reportedly due to caste-discrimination. Three years later, Payal Tadvi, an Adivasi student at TN Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai also died by suicide (on May 22, 2019). As per claims, she was subjected to caste-based discrimination by her upper-caste peers.
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The petitioners submit that there is a rampant prevalence of caste discrimination against members of the SC/ST community alongside institutional apathy to caste-based discrimination and flagrant non-compliance with the existing norms and regulations in place.
In July 2023, the top court issued notice on the plea and sought response of the UGC.
