Centre concluded Expert Panel to revise anti-discrimination Guidelines on Campuses

Expert Panel on Guidelines on Campuses On 2nd August, Union Education Ministry curated an Expert Panel for anti-discrimination guidelines with respect to the SC, ST, OBC and other minorities in educational institutions with the primary aim is to undertake a comprehensive review of existing anti-discriminatory policies and practices on campuses, identifying gaps and shortcomings and propose improvements while improving the efficiency of current anti-discrimination guidelines with respect to the SC, ST, OBS and other minorities in higher education institutions.

Anti-discrimination Guidelines for SC, ST, OBC

Expert Panel on Anti-discrimination on Campus

In a recent discussion, the Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar told the UGC is following the guideline in pursuance of a Supreme Court direction on July 6. This committee revises the regulations and guidelines on anti-discrimination with respect to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes, Persons with Disabilities, and other minorities in higher educational institutions. A bench lead by led by Justice A.S. Bopanna referred to the tragedy of the petitioners, who are the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi had issued the guidelines in the past and had commented that no parent faces such a loss in the future. The Bench said in UGC “This is a very serious issue. Whatever concerns are raised… how do you propose to deal with it and what steps have you taken to address these grievances? This issue is non-adversarial and the UGC needs to take some concrete action. It is for the benefit of students and their parents. Steps taken would ensure that these types of incidents don’t happen in future,”.

Working of Expert Panel

Assess the effectiveness of anti-discrimination rules for SC, ST, OBCs, and minorities in colleges.
Propose revisions to enhance the rules’ efficiency in dealing with discrimination.
Focus on promoting diversity and inclusivity in colleges.
Encourage colleges to adopt policies for a safe and supportive environment for all students.
Establish robust reporting mechanisms for incidents of discrimination.
Ensure incidents are taken seriously and handled properly.
Create fair and equal opportunities for everyone in colleges

UGC Guidelines

https://www.ugc.gov.in/oldpdf/xplanpdf/special_cell.pdf

What is the Prevention of Caste-based Discrimination Committee?

The Prevention of Caste-based Discrimination Committee ensures that no official or faculty member indulges in any kind of discrimination against any community or category of students, faculty or staff members.

What is the composition of the SC ST Committee?

The Committee will consist of a Liaison Officer, 2 to 3 Heads of Departments, 2 to 3 faculty members (Professor, Reader and Lecturer level), 3 to 4 Principals of the undergraduate/post-graduate colleges affiliated with the University and a Co-ordinator of the SC/ST Cell as a Member Secretary.