Lok Sabha Question No. 2965 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-10
Subject: SC/ST Students in Higher Education Institutions
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Pushpendra Saroj

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

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2965 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2026

## SCIST STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

## 2965. SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ:

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

- (a) the number of 'complaints received from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in higher educational institutions since 2017 regarding discrimination, harassment; denial of scholarship or institutional victimisation, classified State-wise and specifically for Uttar Pradesh;
- (6) the nature of action taken by the Ministry on such complaints, including cases referred to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes;
- (c) whether the Ministry has conducted any review of recurring grievances raised by SCIST
- (d) the measures taken to strengthen grievance redress mechanisms, monitoring systems and legal protection available to SC/ST students in higher education institutions?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): The data  regarding number of complaints  received  from   Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in higher educational institutions is not centrally maintained in
- (b) to (d): In order to reduce the  discrimination   against   Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) students in higher educational institutions, the Government has taken various steps which; inter-alia, include   setting up of   SCIST Students Cells,  Equal Opportunity Cell, Student Grievance Cell, Student Grievance Redressal Committee, Liaison Officers, etc: in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). Further;   University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued letters from time to time to prevent caste based discrimination in Higher Education:

Further; the Central Government as well as UGC has issued several instructions from time to time to all the State Governments and Centrally Funded Education Institutions to curb discrimination of any kind in Higher Educational  Institutions UGC has also advised all Universities to constitute a Committee to look into the discrimination complaints received from the SCIST Students/Teachers and non-teaching staff: In addition to the above, All India Council of Technical Education has also framed strict norms to prohibit such incidents in the institutions.

Moreover, Parliament has enacted two namely the Protection of Civil Rights {PCR} Act; 1955 and Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) {PoA} Act; 1989 which are applicable across the country to safeguard members of SCIST community including students. A dedicated National Helpline Against Atrocities' (NHAA) is also available at toll free number 14566' to facilitate the members of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in registration of complaints Acts,

The State   Governments   and UT Administrations are regularly advised in review meetings and Chintan Shivirs to be more sensitive while dealing with incidents of caste based discrimination.

Students can also raise issues, if any, with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)

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