The Budget Session of Parliament has begun with President Draupadi Murmu’s joint address to both Houses, while, on the other hand, the country’s youth are protesting on the streets against regulations introduced by the University Grants Commission to eliminate caste discrimination in higher education institutions. This shows that India, while progressing on the path of sustainable development in various sectors, lacks the social environment of brotherhood that is a necessary condition for the all-round development of any nation. If the country’s youth are on the streets, how will India achieve its all-round development and how will new generations be able to progress in the field of education?
In the new regulations issued on January 13, the Commission has clarified that if any kind of discrimination is done on the basis of caste against students of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in higher educational institutions, then it will be considered a serious criminal category and further legal action will be taken against such act. In this matter, it is very important to understand first of all that for discrimination, students coming from the so-called upper caste of the society have already been considered as oppressors because it is not said in the regulations that discrimination done against students of any caste or class will be considered a criminal act.
Obviously, this was bound to cause unease among the youth community, as the rules are biased and already view students from a particular segment of society with suspicion. A petition has already been filed in the Supreme Court against this rule. Therefore, the entire matter could also be subject to judicial review. According to the new rules, an Equality Committee will be formed in every educational institution, which will hear complaints of discrimination and take necessary further action. The Vice Chancellor or the top administrator of the university will be the patron of this committee. All sections of society will be represented on the committee. The rules do not clarify anywhere what appropriate punishment will be imposed against a complainant if their complaint is found to be false or incorrect.
The absence of this bylaw has also fueled widespread anger among the youth, who believe that its absence will transform universities into battlegrounds for caste politics and lead to the rise of vote-bank politics. Considering this, this is certainly a serious situation for higher education institutions. However, it is also a fact that in 2019, a Dalit student named Rohit Vemula committed suicide at a university in the south due to caste discrimination. This case also went to the Supreme Court, which is still ongoing. While hearing this case, the court directed that social justice systems be strengthened in every university.
Keeping this directive in mind, the Central Government formulated a new regulation, but it failed to maintain balance. Now, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is saying that no injustice will be allowed against students from any section of society. However, the question is: how can natural justice be achieved when the regulation loudly declares that only complaints against Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes will be heard? Although the potential victim group includes persons with disabilities, women, race, and region, the core issue remains caste discrimination. I wrote on this issue two days ago that integrating Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with Other Backward Classes was illogical and contrary to India’s historical and cultural values, but this action had already been taken in 2012.
The question now is how do we create conditions that serve the common good, ensuring social justice and ridding India’s new generations of the poison of casteism? This social taboo can certainly be overcome only through the promotion of education, as education advances a person’s life, preparing them against conservatism and fostering scientific thinking. However, when educational institutions themselves become engulfed in casteism, which door will we turn to beg for social justice? Therefore, it is crucial that we keep our universities away from the arena of caste politics.
To achieve this, we must create an environment in universities that prevents young generations from becoming victims of caste-based hatred. Therefore, it is crucial to take appropriate action against those who make false or vindictive complaints. Because the cutthroat competition currently prevailing in the field of education has already eroded the cordial atmosphere among students that could have been envisioned in previous decades.
Additionally, 90 percent of the country’s society is suffering from the way the plutocracy is taking control of higher education. If we turn our universities into arenas for caste politics, it will have a detrimental impact on India’s overall development framework in the future. Therefore, Education Minister Mr. Pradhan should take immediate, effective steps in this regard and reassure the younger generation of a bright future, ensuring social justice for students from all classes.
