NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that central universities across the country are being sensitised regularly to ensure that their faculty and officials refrain from discriminatory acts as well as put in place internal mechanisms for reporting them by students and staff.
He was responding to a written query posed by MP Samirul Islam who sought to know details of the total number of incidents during the last five years that pertained to caste-based discrimination across all universities and colleges along with an annual break-up. Islam also sought details on the number of such pending cases for the last five years,
The minister said that central universities fall under the purview of the education ministry. The universities are sensitised from time to time to establish mechanisms for lodging complaints through websites or complaint registers.
“They have been directed to take prompt action against erring individuals and encouraged to constitute committees to address complaints of discrimination received from Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Other Backward Class students, teachers, and non-teaching staff,” he added.
The ministry and the UGC have taken measures to safeguard the interests of students coming from disadvantaged groups. Setting up of students grievance redressal committees, appointment of ombudspersons, establishment of equal opportunity cells, counselling support and guidelines for curbing ragging and prevention of sexual harassment figure among them.
Responding to another query from MP P P Sameer on the surge in suicides in IITs over the last two years and the steps taken to prevent them, Mazumdar said multi-pronged measures have been taken to
provide psychological support to students, teachers and families for mental and emotional wellbeing to avoid incidences of suicides.
Following a Supreme Court order dated March 24, 2025, a National Task Force (NTF), chaired by former SC judge Justice (retd) S Ravindra Bhat, has been formed to identify predominant causes of suicides, analysis of existing regulations and suggest recommendations for strengthening students’ protection.
‘Measures taken to prevent suicides in IITs’
MoS Sukanta Majumdar said multi-pronged measures have been taken to provide psychological support to students in IITs, teachers and families for mental wellbeing to avoid suicides.