Lok Sabha Question No. 845 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-21
Subject: Caste based Discrimination
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: JITENDRA CHAUDHURY, RATTAN LAL KATARIA, G. HARI, SHASHI THAROOR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 845 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.11.2016

## CASTE BASED DISCRIMINATION

## 845. SHRI JITENDRA CHAUDHURY:

SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA:

SHRI G. HARI:

DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) Whether the Government is aware of concerns being raised regarding caste based discrimination and harassment of teachers and students in universities and educational institutions in the country; and
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof,  State-wise  during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current year?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

(a) & (b): Universities are autonomous bodies which are governed by their own Acts and  the  Statutes,  Ordinances  and  Regulations  made  thereunder.  The  Acts  of  the respective Universities stipulate that the University shall not discriminate on grounds of  caste,  religion,  etc.  The  Universities  are  competent  to  take  all  administrative decisions including to prevent all kinds of harassment and discrimination against any section of students.

The Government of India and UGC have issued several instructions to all State Governments and Centrally Funded Educational Institutions to curb discrimination of any kind. Major initiatives undertaken are:-

In order to check discrimination and harassment of any section of students and to strengthen the grievance redressal mechanism, the UGC has formulated the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2012 and UGC (Grievance Redressal) Regulations, 2012. These Regulations intend to give effect in letter and spirit to the provisions of the Constitution and other statutory provisions and policies for prevention of discrimination on the grounds of caste and to safeguards the interests of the students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The

Regulations also seek to provide for advancement of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe  students  through  setting  up  of  Equal  Opportunity  Cells  in  each  Higher Educational Institution.  The  UGC  also  provides  financial  assistance  to  establish  the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy to support focused research on  the  issue  of  social  exclusion  related  to  dalits,  tribal  and  religious  minorities.  In order to make the universities/colleges more responsive to the needs and constraints of the disadvantaged social groups, the UGC is giving financial assistance to all eligible Colleges/Universities to establish Equal Opportunity Centres. The aim and objective of this Scheme is to oversee the effective implementation of policies and programmes for  disadvantaged  groups,  to  provide  guidance  and  counselling  with  respect  to academic, financial, social and other matters and to enhance the diversity within the campus. UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009, provides for elimination of ragging in all its form from Universities.  The  UGC  has  a  nationwide  round  the  clock  anti-ragging  helpline  for receiving and tracking complaints of ragging and for various consequential actions in respect of fresh complaints.

UGC  has  also approved establishment of 126 SC/ST  cells in various Universities with a view to safeguard the interests of SC/ST students. Other initiatives include provision of Anti Discriminatory faculty advisors for SC/ST students who look into their problems and advise accordingly, appointment of Student Counsellors to address personal, academic, psychological and family related problems,  providing  sports  and  extra  curricular  activities,  setting  up  counselling centres, provision of anxiety helpline, and setting up disciplinary action committee to take urgent action in case of any complaints of reported ragging, discrimination based on caste,  creed,  religion  and  gender  etc. The  University  Grants  Commission  (UGC) has informed that data on caste-based discrimination for the last three years was not maintained however data for the year 2016 is annexed.

A  Conference  of  Vice  Chancellors  of  Central  Universities  was  held  on February 18, 2016 wherein all the Vice Chancellors and senior Officers of the Central Universities  have  been  asked  to  be  more  vigilant  and  put  a  proper  system  in  place including appointment of Anti-Discrimination Officer to ensure that the students from these categories are not put to any disadvantage or hardship.

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## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY OF PART (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  845  FOR  21.9.2016  REGARDING  CASTE BASED  DISCRIMINATION  ASKED  BY  HON'BLE  MPS  SHRI  JITENDRA CHAUDHARY,  SHRI  RATTAN  LAL  KATARIA,  SHRI  G.HARI  AND  DR. SHASHI THAROOR.

| State-wise complaints regarding Caste based Discrimination for the year-2016, as informed by UGC   | State-wise complaints regarding Caste based Discrimination for the year-2016, as informed by UGC   | State-wise complaints regarding Caste based Discrimination for the year-2016, as informed by UGC   | State-wise complaints regarding Caste based Discrimination for the year-2016, as informed by UGC   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                                                              | State/UT                                                                                           | SC                                                                                                 | ST                                                                                                 |
| 1                                                                                                  | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 2                                                                                                  | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 3                                                                                                  | Assam                                                                                              | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 4                                                                                                  | Chhattisgarh                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 5                                                                                                  | Delhi                                                                                              | 10                                                                                                 | 7                                                                                                  |
| 6                                                                                                  | Gujarat                                                                                            | 14                                                                                                 | 4                                                                                                  |
| 7                                                                                                  | Haryana                                                                                            | 7                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 8                                                                                                  | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                   | 1                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 9                                                                                                  | Jammu &Kashmir                                                                                     | 1                                                                                                  | 1                                                                                                  |
| 10                                                                                                 | Jharkhand                                                                                          | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 11                                                                                                 | Karnataka                                                                                          | 8                                                                                                  | 8                                                                                                  |
| 12                                                                                                 | Kerala                                                                                             | 2                                                                                                  | 2                                                                                                  |
| 13                                                                                                 | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 14                                                                                                 | Maharashtra                                                                                        | 1                                                                                                  | 1                                                                                                  |
| 15                                                                                                 | Mizoram                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 16                                                                                                 | Nagaland                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 17                                                                                                 | Odisha                                                                                             | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 18                                                                                                 | Punjab                                                                                             | 2                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 19                                                                                                 | Rajasthan                                                                                          | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 20                                                                                                 | Sikkim                                                                                             | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 21                                                                                                 | Tamilnadu                                                                                          | 4                                                                                                  | 4                                                                                                  |
| 22                                                                                                 | Telangana                                                                                          | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 23                                                                                                 | Tripura                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 24                                                                                                 | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                      | 27                                                                                                 | 5                                                                                                  |
| 25                                                                                                 | Uttarakhand                                                                                        | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 26                                                                                                 | West Bengal                                                                                        | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| 27                                                                                                 | Puducherry                                                                                         | 0                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                  |
| Total                                                                                              | Total                                                                                              | 77                                                                                                 | 32                                                                                                 |