SC asks UGC as What action has been taken against Caste Discrimination in College campuses?

S Venkateshwari
The supreme court has asked what steps the university Grants Commission has taken to eliminate caste discrimination in college campuses.
Petitions filed by the mothers of Rohit Vemula, who committed suicide due to caste discrimination in hyderabad Central university, and Payal Thadvi, a medical student who committed suicide due to caste violence in maharashtra Medical college, came up for hearing today before a bench headed by supreme court Justice AS Boppanna.
No more parents should lose their children due to caste discrimination in colleges in future. They had filed a petition demanding that the UGC take appropriate action. Description of the petition: No more parents should lose their children due to caste discrimination in future. UGC should be urged to take appropriate action for that.
For that the university Grants Commission should ensure maintenance of equity in higher education campuses as per its by-laws. Equal opportunity centers have been created in higher educational institutions, universities and virtual universities to find out the grievances of students.
All universities and educational institutes should be mandated to describe the procedures related to elimination of caste discrimination on their websites. Similarly, NAAC, which inspects and accredits colleges, should be mandated to ensure that college campuses have an environment conducive to promoting diversity. Such demands are included in the petition.
Justice MM Sundaresh, who was in the session hearing this case, said, "What steps have been taken by the university Grants Committee to eliminate caste discrimination in college campuses. UGC should consult the petitioners and formulate policies in the effort to eliminate caste discrimination in college campuses."
Also, what steps have been taken by the UGC to bring the scheduled caste and Tribal student community to the forefront," he said. He also pointed out that the hardships data-faced by such students in college campuses are innumerable.

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