Thu Feb 27 07:01:32 UTC 2025: **UGC Drafts New Regulations to Combat Caste Discrimination in Indian Universities**
NEW DELHI – Following a Supreme Court order stemming from a six-year-old petition filed by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, the University Grants Commission (UGC) announced on Thursday the drafting of new regulations to prevent caste discrimination in higher education institutions across India. The regulations, currently under review, will soon be made public for feedback.
The petition, filed by the mothers of Vemula, a PhD scholar who died by suicide in 2016, and Tadvi, a medical student who died by suicide in 2019, both alleged victims of caste-based discrimination, prompted the court to direct the UGC to address the issue.
In response to the court’s January order, the UGC submitted an affidavit detailing its findings based on responses from 3522 higher education institutions. These institutions reported establishing 3067 Equal Opportunity Cells and 3273 SC/ST Cells, receiving a total of 1503 caste discrimination complaints, with 1426 resolved. The UGC stated that they are actively working to curb discrimination through monitoring and helplines.
However, senior advocate Indira Jaising raised concerns about the actual implementation of the 2012 regulations and requested caste-wise data on student suicides in educational institutions. The court agreed to examine this request. The UGC’s new regulations are aimed at strengthening efforts to combat caste discrimination in Indian universities and colleges.
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