Grievance redressal facilities exist for SC/ST students in Central institutions, says Minister

In response to an unstarred question from Lok Sabha Member S. Venkatesan, representing Communist Party of India (Marxists) from Madurai, on Monday, Mr. Sarkar said 19 of the 23 IITs; 14 of the 25 IIITs; and 26 of the 32 NITs had SC/ST cells

Not all Central institutions have SC/ST cells for students, Union Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar has said.

In response to an unstarred question from Lok Sabha Member S. Venkatesan, representing Communist Party of India (Marxists) from Madurai, on Monday, Mr. Sarkar said 19 of the 23 IITs; 14 of the 25 IIITs; and 26 of the 32 NITs had SC/ST cells while the remaining institutions had Equal Opportunity Cell, Student Grievance Committee, Student Social Club, liaison officers and liaison committee that students could approach.

Mr. Venkatesan sought to know if the Union government had taken note of reports on suicides by SC/ST students in Central institutions and details of SC/ST student cells with institution-wise break up.

He asked if the head counsellor of the SC/ST committee in the Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai had signed the anti-reservation memorandum and admitted to the fact. He also asked if the government would instruct the institute to include socially sensitive persons in such committees.

The CPI(M) leader wanted to know the details of SC/ST committees in Central educational institutions and if students from the SC/ST communities were included in them.

According to the Minister, after the issue came to the notice of the institute in 2022, a new in-charge for student wellness centre had been appointed and the institute had initiated recruitment of one counsellor each from SC and ST communities so that the students can approach them for their grievance.

The Minister did not give a break-up of suicides community-wise but stated that in the last five years 33 suicides were reported from IITs; 24 from NITs; and four from IIMs. The National Education Policy 2020 provided for counselling systems in the institutions. Circular for compliance with University Grants Commission regulations on curbing ragging in HEIs, and the Union Health Ministry’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy had been issued to the HEIs, Mr. Sarkar said.