Lok Sabha Question No. 1246 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-11
Subject: Caste Discrimination and Suicides
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Dr. Alok Kumar Suman

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1246 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2025

## CASTE DISCRIMINATION AND SUICIDE

1246. DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the Government is not maintaining Caste discrimination at central universities such as IIMs, AlIMSs, NITs, IITs and other Universities causing more suicide at these institutions by SC/ST students, if so the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the ministry has issued any guidelines to prevent Caste discrimination at central universities, if so, details thereof; and
- (c) whether the ministry has noticed that suicide of SC/ST students due to Caste discrimination and deliberately failure of students by teaching faculties, if so, the details thereon?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE)

(a) to (c): Two Acts are in force ie. the Protection of Civil Rights {PCR) Act, 1955, which prescribes punishment for enforcement of any disability arising from practice of "untouchability' and The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) {PoA} Act, 1989 to prevent the commission of offences of atrocities against members of Scheduled Castes(SCs) and Scheduled Tribes(STs). The applicability of the provisions of these Acts extends to the whole of India including Central Institutions and Universities.

For the effective implementation of these Acts by the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment runs a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and provide admissible Central Assistance to the States/UTs including for Awareness Generation and Publicity of the provisions of these Acts.

A National Helpline Against Atrocities (NHAA) is also running to facilitate the members of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCS) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) are in place to provide safeguards against the exploitation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to promote and protect their social, educational, economic and cultural interests respectively.

In order to reduce the discrimination against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Central Universities and Institutions, various steps have been taken which inter-alia include setting up of SC/ST students' cells, Equal Opportunity Cell, Student Grievance Cell, Student Grievance Redressal Committee, Liaison Officers etc. in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), instructions to ensure that faculty and officials refrain from discriminatory acts, establish mechanisms for lodging complaints through websites or complaint registers, and take prompt action against erring individual and issuance of regulations to safeguard the interest of students including SC/ST students. There are also provisions 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. are also there. The All India Council of Technical Education has also framed strict norms to prohibit such incidents in the institutions, managed by it.

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