CHENNAI: No evidence of caste-based discrimination has been observed in IIT Madras, said Arun Halder, vice-chairman of the National Commisison for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), addressing the press at the State Guest House, on Tuesday. Members of the commission said that during the vice-chairman’s visit, no complaints of caste-based discrimination were received from the students or staff from Scheduled Castes (SC).
“The professor who resigned recently belonged to the OBC community. We are looking into concerns of people belonging to Scheduled Castes and no such concerns were raised by the students or staff members so far,” said a member of the commission. Arun Halder said that if any such complaints are raised, the commission will immediately investigate and take action. He added that IIT has been following due process in faculty appointments according to the reservation policy.
On Monday, Halder had visited IIT Madras and held a meeting with the director and other members of the management, based on a complaint from the State General Secretary of Dalit Liberation Movement TN S Karuppiah. Following the discussion, he had asked the institute to file a detailed report within 30 days.
S Karuppiah, State president of the All India Confederation of SC/ST organisations, said that the institution has been discriminating against the oppressed for a long time and it needed to be addressed. “They have to thoroughly investigate the matter before coming to conclusions,” he said.