Parliament Question: Caste-based discrimination in Universities and colleges

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1291 ANSWERED ON 11/02/2026 Caste-based discrimination in Universities and colleges 1291 Shri Samirul Islam: Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state: (a) the details of total number of incidents of caste-based discrimination across all Universities and colleges for last five years, year-wise; and (b) the details of the total number of pending cases for the last five years, year-wise? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) and (b): Education being a subject in the concurrent list of the Constitution, Centre and States are equally responsible for providing quality education to all. Central Universities under the purview of Ministry of Education are statutory autonomous organizations established under respective Central Acts of Parliament and governed by provisions of the Acts, Statutes, Ordinances, Regulations made thereunder. Central Universities are sensitised from time to time to ensure that faculty and officials refrain from discriminatory acts, establish mechanisms for lodging complaints through websites or complaint registers, take prompt action against erring individuals and are also encouraged to constitute committees to address complaints of discrimination received from Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe / Other Backward Class students, teachers, and non-teaching staff. Ministry of Education and University Grants Commission have taken several measures to prevent caste based discrimination and to safeguard the interests of students coming from disadvantaged groups, including setting up of Students Grievance Redressal Committees (SGRCs) and appointment of Ombudspersons, establishment of Equal Opportunity Cells, provisions of counselling support through counselling centres and guidelines for curbing of ragging and prevention of sexual harassment. *****